Cross My Heart
by fangsandflowers
Summary: Emma and Regina share a heart after the upcoming finale *yells* Swanqueen :3
1. Chapter 1

Maybe it was the subtle nighttime breeze. Maybe it was the twinkling, deep blue abyss that hanged above her fading eyes. But even as she lay nearly slain on the blood dampened street, Regina had never felt such perfect peace and bliss in her centuries long life. For a moment she thought back to her earliest memory where she wildly picked sunflowers in the royal garden. Then she remembered her first love Daniel... then Snow as a child... the years of heartless revenge... the curse... Henry's sweet face... and finally, the Savior. Her life was indeed flashing before her eyes.

"Regina! Regina, c'mon!" Emma panicked as she shook Regina's weakened shoulders. "Regina, stay with us."

The blood was profuse. Aladdin's blade pierced through Regina's heart. Emma knew there was no way of saving her, but she refused to accept the horrible truth.

"Mom! Henry! Someone, please help!" The Savior bellowed into the night.

The Charmings, Hook and Henry promised to take cover while Regina and Emma fought the Evil Queen and Aladdin. It wasn't until Emma's cry for help that they hurriedly returned to the street turned battlefield and soon to be deathbed.

"Is that Regina?" Snow asked as they trotted away from safety. "Regina!"

"No... Mom!" Cried Henry.

Henry crouched opposite Emma while the Charmings stood over Regina beside him. Realizing this was a close family moment, Hook receded off behind them a few yards away.

"H-" Regina cleared her throat as best as she could, "Henry." She faintly whispered. He clasped his mother's hand in his own.

"Yes, mom?"

"You always... believed in me. Even..." she coughed, "even when I didn't deserve your faith."

Henry's eyes welled with tears. He placed his quivering lips onto the back of his mother's dying hand.

"Always remember... that I always loved you... and always will love you."

"I- I promise. I will." He struggled to respond. "I love you, Mom. Please, don't go."

"I must." Regina slowly shifted her neck and eyes to her left where Emma still crouched beside her with frantic eyes. "Emma."

The Savior's mouth was gaped and was seemingly in shock. Emma's job was to save everyone, to give them their happy endings. Now the woman who raised her child, the woman she promised she'd give her happy ending to, was bleeding to death beneath her. She felt helpless.

"Regina." Emma took the trembling hand Regina offered.

"You made me a promise, to give me my happy ending," her words were much easier now, "and that's exactly what you gave me."

Emma finally broke out of her shock and tears spilled into her eyes.

"No! This is not your happy ending."

"It was always going to come to this, Emma. But you... you gave me what no one else could. You gave me a child. You gave me a family." A single droplet trickled down from Regina's eye to her hair. Emma pulled Regina's hand into her chest and hugged it close.

"I'm so sorry, Regina."

"Don't... don't apologize, Miss Swan."

Emma smiled through the ocean of tears that soaked her face.

"Don't Miss Swan me."

"We've been through too much."

She faintly smirked then loosened the grip she had around Henry and Emma's hands, her fading eyes closed entirely and her ultimate sacrifice was finally complete.

"Regina!"

"Mom! Mom, no! Please come back!"

A weeping Snow knelt beside Henry and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay, Henry." Snow murmured.

"No, it's not! She's dead! My mom is dead!" Henry buried his face into his late mother's neck and wrapped his arms around her pallid face.

David knelt beside Emma who still held onto Regina's lifeless hand.

"I'm sorry, Em-"

"It wasn't supposed to end this way. It can't end this way."

"Sacrificing herself for her family is the only way Regina would have wanted to go. She was a hero. Let that be the memory you hold on to."

Emma lifted her eyes from the terrible sight and looked upon her mother's crying face, then beside her at her father's teary eyes. Her eyes widened.

"You're right. Regina was a hero. Then she can still have a happy ending."

The Charmings exchanged a puzzled look.

The Savior relinquished Regina's hand, reached out and clawed her way into the late Queen's chest. Henry pulled away as he felt his mother's body jolt from underneath him.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Snow asked.

"Fixing this." She then ripped out Regina's battered and dim heart. There was no life left in it, yet Emma handled it ever so delicately, as if it was a fragile newborn baby. She gently placed it in the bag she had attached to her side.

"Henry, look at me." Emma gripped both of her son's shoulders and glared intently into his broken brown eyes. "We're going to save your mother. But you have to trust me, okay?"

He nodded without question. Emma reciprocated.

Without warning, Emma fixed her hand into another claw and jabbed it at Henry's chest in an attempt to take his heart. But a purple force field of lightening bolts repelled Emma's hand and pushed her back onto her heels.

"Ahhh!" Henry writhed.

"Emma!" Snow and David cried in unison.

"No... why didn't it work..."

"Emma, stop this! What are you doing?!" Snow demanded as she held onto her grandson.

"You two share a heart. Regina's only been gone a minute it can work!"

"It won't work. Mom protected my heart after Pan stole it."

Emma froze, but only for a moment.

"Then I'll do it."

"No!" Snow cried.

"Emma, no, you can't." Exclaimed David.

"I have to! I promised her a happy ending and it's not dead in the middle of the road! There is always another way." Emma peered around at her loved ones. They were silenced by her furious outburst.

"Swan, you-" Hook tried to approach.

"Stop. It is my heart, it's my choice and I will do with it whatever I want. You hated Regina so this is not up to you."

The pirate's eyes softened and realized resistance was futile. Emma would do whatever she could to save Regina. The realization was paralyzing, but he once again receded away.

Emma turned back to her mother.

"If it doesn't work, I need you to put my heart back together and back inside me, okay?"

Snow nodded without protest.

The Savior fixed her eyes back to Regina and filled her lungs with the crisp night air. For a moment she was motionless. A few seconds passed before Emma slowly raised her hand and dug her fingers into her chest. She dropped her jaw and squeezed her eyelids shut in great agony. Inch by inch, the Savior's pure, glowing heart emerged out of its cavity. Her family eyed it in awe of its glory. Emma took one final look at her loved ones before taking each side of her heart. She then twisted the sides in opposite directions forcing it to snap in half with a sound reminiscent of rocks colliding. Emma pushed the left half back inside her chest with shockingly little hesitation.

The Charmings and Henry knew Emma cared for Regina. Of course she did. They've known each other for 5 years and have a child together. But this was somehow different. Snow split her heart to save David, her one true love, a love powerful enough to break any curse and create a Savior. Sharing a heart was a sacred rite between two people who can't live without each other. It was a great sacrifice that no one thought she'd do for Regina. Yet here they were, watching as Emma was not just willing but anxious to give half of herself to the mother of her child. Snow found herself giving Emma the same look she gave Regina when she brought Emma's baby blanket to Granny's diner.

With softened eyes and shaky breaths, Emma placed the second half on Regina's chest. Henry interlocked his fingers with Snow's, Snow clasped David's hand and David held on to Emma's back. The family braced themselves, waiting to be complete once again.

The Savior gently pressed down and her heart disappeared into Regina's chest. Her father instantly took her hand, but Emma eyes remained glued to Regina's face, not so patiently waiting for any sign of life.

"Regina." A deep voice echoed somewhere in the distance.

"Who's there? Where am I?" Regina asked. Wearing her old garb from when she was just a teenager, Regina was standing on a grassy plain with fog thickly draped around her. She could barely see her own hand if it wasn't for the bit of sunlight peeking through the blankets of clouds.

"Regina." It called again. The voice sounded familiar.

"R-Robin?"

"Regina." He voiced once more as he emerged from the fog.

"Robin!" Regina ran to the bandit and wrapped her arms around his neck. He returned the warm embrace. She unclasped him for a moment to assuage her curiosity. "Robin, what are you doing here? Where are we? What is this? I was just-"

She paused then realized where she just was.

"I... I'm..."

"That's right. You're dead." Robin explained in a soft tone.

"But I can't be dead. What about Henry? What about my family I can't leave them."

"Oh, but you must. Your time has come."

"It hasn't! Who's going to protect them when I'm gone?"

"Emma can protect them. She's the Savior."

"Emma." Regina's mouth fell open and eyes widened. The mere mention of Emma's name struck a strange chord in her. She placed her hands on her chest.

"What's wrong, Regina?"

"I don't know. I just... feel something."

"Take my hand. Come with me and you can finally be with me forever. Just like we always wanted."

Regina was still clutching at her chest. She didn't quite understand what she was feeling, but she knew she couldn't go with Robin.

"Regina, isn't this what you wanted? A happy ending? True love and eternal bliss?" Robin placed his hands on the sides of Regina's face.

"Of course it's what I want. But this isn't a happy ending, Robin. True love is sacrifice not leaving your family to selfishly prance around in some celestial realm while they continue to suffer."

"That's just it. No more suffering. No more pain. No more misery. It's just you and I happily."

Regina lowered Robin's hands and hugged them to her chest.

"Robin. I do love you. I really do." Her eyes began to well. "But I have a family. And if suffering is what I must do to protect them and be with them, then so be it."

"At what cost? You walked to hell and back for them only to have your lover killed and even yourself."

"It's what I chose!"

A silence fell over the foggy space.

"I chose to sacrifice myself. I chose go to Hades. Everything I have ever done for my family has been my choice. That's what it's always been. Choice. And I choose to go back."

An earthquake erupted at their feet and cracked open the space between them.

"What's happening?!" Regina yelled over the rumblings beneath her.

"It's your choice! This is goodbye, Regina!"

"Robin!" She cried.

"You will have your happy ending!"

Regina gripped Robin's hand for as long as she could but the ground was now completely separated and moving further and further apart. If she held on any longer she'd fall into the black, endless abyss that opened up.

"I can't hold on!"

"Let go, Regina. Just let me go."

"Robin!"

Regina's half of the ground receded backward and the fog enveloped her once again. Robin disappeared into the pale clouds. Thereafter, everything turned a blinding white. It was as if someone was shining flashlights directly into her eyes.

"Mayor Mills? Mayor Mills, are you with us?"

Regina was clawing her way back to consciousness as Dr. Whale flashed the pen lite on and off her pupils.

"C'mon, Madam Mayor. You don't give up that easily."

The room was doing somersaults but the Mayor finally was able to blink some of it away.

"There ya go. You lost a lot of blood, Madam Mayor, but you're gonna be fine. You've got a strong heart in there." He winked.

Not only was she terribly weak and dizzy, but the oxygen mask on Regina's face was tight and uncomfortable. But they were friendly reminders that she was indeed alive. In her stiffened, motionless state she silently thanked goodness.

"You can see her now. But not for long." Regina heard the doctor say.

"Mom!" Henry cried, wasting no time. He didn't know his exclamation made her head pound in terrible agony, but she didn't mind. Seeing her son's face was all that mattered.

"Henry." She somehow mustered while smiling underneath the mask. The reunited mother and son embraced on the hospital bed and sobbed in great relief.

"I thought you were gone."

"So did I." She chuckled.

"Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I won't. I promise, Henry."

He pulled away placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. They smiled at each other for a moment.

"Regina."

Regina looked up.

"Snow."

Snow walked over to Regina and gave her the warmest embrace she'd ever given.

"Welcome back." She whispered into her ear.

David followed in and took Regina's hand after Snow pulled away.

"This family would never be complete again if you checked out of here. Don't let it happen again." He kindly smirked.

She weakly returned the gesture.

"Where's Emma?"

The Charmings and Henry exchanged a nervous look.

"She's... she's getting you some water." Snow began. "We can't have ourselves a thirsty hero, can we?"

"Is she okay?" Even in her worst condition ever, she knew something was off. Regina wasn't buying it.

"Yeah, of course," said David. "You're just a little edgy. Don't worry about it.

"Alright, alright. I think that's enough visiting for now. The Mayor needs her rest." Dr. Whale interrupted.

"No, I don't."

"The doctor's right, Regina. We need you well. But don't worry, we're staying right outside in the waiting lounge."

"No no, Snow. Go home. Sleep. I don't need guilt on top of the pain I'm already in."

"Nope, we're staying. No objections."

"I-"

"Sleep well, Regina." Snow grabbed David's hand and lead him out of the room.

"Goodnight, Mom. I love you."

"I love you more, Henry."

"Not possible."

They smiled.

The incessant beeping from the machines woke Regina up for the second time that night. By now it was at least 2AM. Frustrated, she removed the mask from her face and tried to sit up. But the room was still somersaulting. Instead she reached for the water at her bedside and sipped to quench thirst. As she leaned back over to put the cup down, Regina saw out of the corner of her eye a figure blocking off the light.

"Hey, who's-"

"Regina..."

"Emma."


	2. Chapter 2

The Savior wasn't quite sure where to begin nor what to say. She wasn't even sure why she'd come in to see Regina when she thought the Mayor was fast asleep. Maybe she just wanted to see her breathing again. After all, Regina was dead not just a few hours ago. Seeing her alive again would give Emma's winding mind some much needed ease.

"I uh. I thought you were sleeping." Emma nervously stuffed her hands in her pockets. Blood still stained underneath her nails despite the boiling hot hour long shower she took.

"I was. But my dear old friend the heart monitor won't allow that for very long. Henry made less noise as an infant."

Emma's chin fell to her chest and she smiled at the ground. She didn't realize how much she loved Regina's sarcastic humor until this moment. For a few silent seconds she savored the wise crack, as simple as it was.

"I should probably get going. You need your rest."

"No, I'm fine. I was going to look for a crappy made for TV movie to watch but I'd much rather have your company."

There was silence.

"That is you don't mind of course. It seems you weren't expecting me to be conscious." Regina snickered.

"Of course I don't mind." Emma quickly replied. "I came to check on you."

"Okay then." Regina fixed herself in the mostly comfortable hospital bed. She pulled the sheets up to her waist and adjusted the bed so she wouldn't have to sit up under what little strength she had. Emma took the seat right at the entrance of Regina's room, about 2 and a half yards in front of her bed.

"That's awfully far." Regina remarked. "Emma, it's okay. I'm not glass."

Still edgy, Emma got up and took the seat to the left of Regina's legs, only a couple feet from the bed. It painfully reminded Emma of being by Regina's side during the blood bath. It painfully reminded her that she'd have to tell Regina how she's still alive. How could she tell Regina that the machines were actually monitoring half of her own heart?

"See? I'm okay."

"Okay as ever." Emma sat back.

"Some night, huh?"

"Yeah. Hard to believe this is our life."

"Fighting evil doppelgängers and a savior is actually quite normal compared to the other predicaments we've gotten ourselves into."

"No kidding. Remember the wraith?"

"How could I ever forget the wraith? But I'd have to say the Chernobog is a personal favorite."

"Ahhh, the Chernobog..." Emma wryly recalled.

"Your rusty bucket of bolts helped save the day that time."

"Hey, don't knock the bug, alright?" She jokingly raised a finger.

"I might actually throw a town wide party when that thing can't run anymore and believe me it's sooner rather than later."

"Alright, alright I get it. You hate my bug."

"I do not hate it. I just... think you need a vehicle with 21st century safety specifications."

They glanced at each other for a moment then hunched over in simultaneous laughter.

"We've been through quite a lot, haven't we?" The Mayor sighed.

"We sure have." Emma gave Regina a helpless sort of look, but it was hard to recognize because of how dim the room was.

"You know I can't help but wonder how I'm... alive."

Emma's eyes widened.

"As hard as it is to admit, Aladdin got me pretty good. I didn't think there was any way I'd make it out of there with my life."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, let's see. I threw myself in front of the sword, was lying on the ground, I said my goodbyes and then I was here. Perhaps my farewell was a little too melodramatic but I really felt those were my last moments. For once in my life, I'm relieved to be wrong."

Emma nodded, a sad smile on her face as she picked at her nails.

"Maybe fate has an even worse death in store for me." Regina smiled.

"Don't joke like that. It's not funny."

Her face quickly fell as Regina realized how serious Emma was.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't realized how hard that must've been for you. You and Henry both."

"No, it's fine." Emma stood. "Now I'm the one being melodramatic." She gently placed a hand on Regina's knee. "I'm really happy you're okay." Emma gazed upon Regina's naked face. No dark lipstick, no eyeliner and mascara, no blush. Her skin was drained from last night's near death, or actual death, experience. She half-smiled at how absolutely beautiful she still found her face to be.

"Of course I'm okay. My father always told me I have a lion's heart. But thank you."

"Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma."

Emma left out of the hospital room and murmured to herself when she turned the corner.

"More like a Swan's heart."

...

"Hey, Mom."

"Morning, Emma!"

"What are you doing here? What's all this?"

"I'm making a special welcome home breakfast for Regina."

"She's coming home today?"

"Yup. Against doctor's orders of course but Regina insisted on it."

"Amazing, isn't it? You two were mortal enemies, now she's going to come home to Snow White making her breakfast in her kitchen. It's uh... pretty crazy, ya know?" Emma crossed her arms.

"I guess it is." Snow remarked in an inquisitive tone. "I seem to recall you two were enemies once. Now you share both a child and a heart." She started whipping eggs.

"You don't have to say it so openly like that."

"It's the truth. And you're going to have to find a way to deal with it and tell Regina."

"How do you know I haven't already told her?"

"Because you wouldn't have come in here with your sad puppy dog face and random comments about mine and Regina's past."

"Fair enough."

Snow offered a matter of fact nod and continued her masterpiece in the making.

"Where's Henry?"

"He's already at the hospital. He didn't tell you?"

"No, he did not." Shutting her eyes in frustration.

"Well, don't be so hard on the boy. He watched one of his mothers die in front of his very eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if he'll sleep in the same bed with her for the next month."

Emma raised a hand.

"Please, stop. He doesn't need anymore dysfunctional stories to hide from his future wife."

"Or husband."

"What?"

"I'm just saying. Some people fall in love with people of the same gender. It happens. Sometimes it even happens unexpectedly. Without warning. Or you could fall for someone and not even know you have until something drastic happens. Ahhh... isn't love grand?"

"... okay..."

"What? I'm just talking about the many wonders of love. All love is beautiful. Don't you agree?"

"Of... course I do. Does Henry have a boyfriend or something? What's gotten into you?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Just saying!" Snow placed some turkey sausage links into another pan separate from the perfectly yellow eggs that were still sizzling.

"Yeah... anyways. I'll go to the station and check on things. I'm sure the dwarves are throwing a tantrum over the damage done to the roads last night."

"Nope. Your father already went to the station this morning before taking Henry to the hospital. Everything is fine. You're gonna stay put right here."

"What? Why?"

"Because Regina needs all the support she can get. We're a family. Now sit down."

"I think you're experiencing some sort of shock."

"I'm not! Now c'mon. Set the table. Regina will be here in about a half hour."

...

*ding dong*

"They're here." Snow sang.

 _What on Earth has gotten into her?_

Emma pushed her hair behind her ears and once again found herself nervously jabbing her hands into her front jeans pockets. She held them there for a moment then placed her thumbs in her back pockets in an effort to act natural. Emma wasn't sure why she suddenly was so terribly anxious with Regina around but she brushed it off as simple nerves. Keeping secrets from Regina's wasn't exactly her strong suit.

"Regina!" Snow excitedly cried before the door had even fully opened. Sunlight burst into the foyer and silhouetted around Regina which made her seem angelic, ethereal. Emma's mouth couldn't help gape. The barely recovered Mayor had an arm draped around Henry's shoulder as she crossed the threshold and passed the reach of the blinding late morning sunlight. The two best friends shared yet another warm embrace.

"It's good to see you, Snow." Regina's eyes lifted. "Emma."

"Hey, Regina." Emma answered with a toothless smile.

"What smells so good?" David asked.

"That's a special breakfast made for a special someone." The dainty princess cocked her head to the side and smiled at Regina.

"Snow... you didn't have to do-"

"Ah-ah. No objections. Let's eat."

...

"And then he said, 'I'll sleep for 44 years' AHAHAHAHAHA!" David exploded into raucous laughter and the rest of the family followed suit.

For the past hour, everyone was eating, laughing, sharing stories, saying appreciative words to Regina. Everyone except Emma that is. The Savior barely touched her food, had her chin to her chest most of the time and uttered not three words since they all sat down. A petulant child surely had more tact than the display Emma put on. Snow, to say the least, was infuriated. David, realizing his wife was fuming underneath her thick skin, took the reigns.

"Emma, you've barely touched your food. Everything alright?"

Regina and Henry exchanged looks.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm fine. Just feeling a little queasy I guess. I'll be right back." Emma rose from the table and walked out of the dining room towards the staircase. She didn't want anyone to hear her so the upstairs bathroom would be better.

For a few minutes, Emma sat on the edge of the bathtub scolding herself for being so dreadfully obvious about her dismay.

"All you had to do was smile and eat your damn pancakes. The woman sacrificed her life for you and you've ruined her welcoming home." She got up and leaned on the sink to look into the mirror.

"You can do this, c'mon. You'll tell her soon enough. 'Hey, we share a heart' no biggie." She shrugged as a 'no big deal' gesture to herself. Then she shook her head, completely mortified at how embarrassing she was.

She flushed the toilet even though she hadn't even used it, washed and dried her hands and entered the hallway again. Just as she was going to go down the stairs and rejoin the family she noticed an open door at the end of the hallway. She thought for a moment... it's not in her nature to snoop on loved ones, but she realized she's never seen anything on the second floor other than Henry's room.

Against any sense of good judgment Emma thought she had, she walked down the hall and into what would be the master bedroom. Everything was delicate and perfectly arranged. Even Regina's dresser, which was a complete mess in Emma's house, was neat and polished. The bed was a California king size and closer to the floor than most beds. The entire room was modern, lavish and silver themed. Emma felt there was no personal touch but then she looked over at the closet and saw a bit of off-white fabric poking through the bevy of dark sensible pants suits.

"It can't be."

But it was. Emma pulled on the fabric and discovered it really was her baby blanket.

"So you found it." Regina's voice called behind Emma. She nearly came out of her skin.

"Regina! I- I wasn't snooping. I just..."

Regina raised her eyebrows.

"Okay, maybe I was snooping just a little? I was curious. I've never seen it in here."

"It's okay. I don't mind. I've nothing to hide." Regina laughed then sauntered over to the bed to sit. She was still terribly weak from last night and couldn't stand for too long.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why do you have this?"

"Why wouldn't I have it? You're messy and disorganized. That blanket was the key to getting us to you when you were the Dark One and it obviously has sentimental value. We can't go losing it now, can we?"

"I didn't do so bad. I kept it safe for 28 years." Emma sat beside Regina.

"Yeah, and you're lucky it lasted that long. I'd have more peace of mind if you left it here."

Emma side eyed the brunette.

"Deal." She folded the precious material and held it in her lap.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question."

"Shoot."

"What is up with you? You're acting very odd and I mean more odd than usual."

Emma lowered her eyes to the baby blanket and toyed with the loose threads that hanged off of it.

"I don't know."

"Emma." Regina was stern this time.

"Alright, I just... I don't know I guess you just really scared me last night. We're both Henry's parents and that means he needs us both in his life. _I_ need you in his life."

Regina measured Emma's face.

"Truth be told," Emma continued, "You know him better than I do. I mean come on, you have a whole 10 years on me."

"Well, you do have a point." She smiled. "I'm not going anywhere, Emma. You're going to have to put up with me for a very long time."

"Looking forward to it." A sadness crept inside Emma but she cloaked it with a faint smile. For a moment they were silent, but Emma broke it soon enough. "You're wearing jeans... and a t-shirt."

"Hahaha. Yes. I feel naked."

"Why? It's a great look on you."

"Maybe, but in my 30 odd years in this world, I have never worn a single pair of jeans... nor a t-shirt. Who is Regina Mills without a sensible pants suit?"

"You're you."

Regina glanced up Emma's half-smiling face and returned the look.

"Thank you, Regina."

"For what?"

"You gave your life for me."

" _Almost_ gave my life for you. Not quite."

"Doesn't matter. You were willing to and you took a bullet for me. I owe you well... my life."

"There you go getting melodramatic again. We're family. It's what we do."

They exchanged more toothless smiles.

"I think we should get back to breakfast."

"You go. I'm actually growing weaker by the minute. I think I could use a few hours of sleep without Mr. Beepy the heart monitor."

"Okay. Sleep well."

"Bye, Emma."


	3. Chapter 3

If ever there was a night where Emma Swan hoped she knew a sleeping spell, it was this night. She tossed and turned and flopped and shifted for what seemed to be several hours. It was more like two. But midnight was fast approaching and she only grew more restless and wired with each passing minute. Counting sheep was her last resort but "futile" and "pointless" came to mind when she considered it. Moreover, Emma knew what what was really the cause of her pensive insomnia.

Sleep was no longer a concern so Emma reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her phone. _Maybe Candy Crush will pass the time_ , she thought. She thumbed over a couple pages on her home screen and saw the contacts icon. Without knowing why, she tapped it... tapped the "R" option... and looked at Regina's name.

"If I tell her via text it wouldn't be so hard." She grumbled. "Hmm... can't do that." Emma held her thumb on Regina's name and swiped up and down, pondering her options. Before she knew it, she tapped Regina's name then tapped the phone icon.

It rang...

And it rang...

And it rang some more...

"Hello?"

Emma didn't respond.

"Emma? Did you butt dial me?"

"Oh. No. Sorry, Regina. I was just calling to see how you were doing." Lies. "When I left earlier you were still napping."

Some ruffling sounds happened on Emma's end. It sounded like Regina was sitting up.

"I'm fine. I slept too long, actually. Now I'm awake reading through quarterly fiscal reports. Riveting, I know."

Emma laughed a bit.

"Very riveting."

"What about you? Why are you up so late?"

"I- uh. I don't know. Just can't sleep."

"You know that I can always tell when you're lying yet you do it anyway."

"Maybe you're not ready to know why just yet."

"Know what?"

"Nothing. Forget it. You should-"

"If you tell me that I should get some rest, I will teleport to your room and strangle you myself." Regina threatened, but not seriously.

"Sure you've got enough strength for that?" Emma teased back.

"Emma, this isn't funny. I've known something was off since this minute I woke up in the hospital. No one will tell me a thing and I'm starting to think someone rose me from the dead and I'm unknowingly a zombie. When is someone going to finally tell me the truth?"

"Alright, Regina. Calm down. We can talk tomorrow. I promise I'll tell you everything."

"Well, I hope it'll be the truth. And if you're going to lie again, at least think of something more believable than 'you scared me.' That's just insulting to my intelligence."

"Okay. You're right." Emma's voice softened under Regina's irritated tone. "How about Granny's at 10?"

"Fine." Regina hang up before the 'n' sound had even reached Emma's phone. Emma didn't blame her. She knew Regina didn't deserve to be kept in the dark about something so serious. One day, now two, was too long.

...

When Emma arrived, Regina was already seated at a table taking long intent sips of her morning java. _Black, two sugars_ Emma thought. For a few moments she stood outside and observed Regina through Granny's window. A strange sensation crept up her spine. It's eerie. Having half of your heart inside someone else is both an incomplete, yet warm feeling. The only way to feel less broken is by being near them, then once you are, all you want to do is protect them. It's as if Regina was an extension of her own self. The realization was overwhelming.

"Miss Swan."

Emma turned to see whose voice it was.

"Gold? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just having going for breakfast just like everybody else." There was a hint of mischief in his voice as he approached up the sidewalk. "Something is different about you, Miss Swan."

"What do you mean?" Emma squinted as her eyes were directly in a ray of sunlight.

"I think you know what I mean..." He looked down at her chest.

"What's going on?" Regina asked as she came out of Granny's and stood between Emma and Gold. His presence meant trouble, so Regina didn't waste when she noticed him through the window.

"Nothing, Regina. Go back inside." Emma demanded.

"Well well well, it looks like I'm not the only secret keeper in this town. Emma, would you care to tell her, or shall I _show_ her?"

Emma gripped Regina's arm and pulled her to her side.

"Ow! Emma, what are you doing?"

"You stay away from her." Emma's voice dropped an octave and her eyes grew dark with rage.

Gold took a few steps forward. "Well then I guess that means the latter." He flexed his arm towards Emma's chest and dug into her cavity. She gasped as felt the sickening squirming of his hand underneath her rib cage.

"Emma!" Regina cried. Before she could make any attempt to stop Gold, he yanked half of Emma's heart out. The brunette wrapped her hand around Emma's waist and held on to her arm to support her.

"Well, dearie. It seems we're missing a piece, aren't we?" A sinister smile outstretched on the sorcerer's face.

For a moment there was silence between the three. Emma found her breath again during the brief standoff.

"Emma, where's the other half of your heart?" Regina asked, concern in her furrowed eyebrows.

"Regina I-"

"Well I guess there's only one way to find out." Gold squeezed Emma's half and both the Savior and Regina doubled over and writhed in pain. "Fascinating, isn't it! One heart, double the agony."

"Gold, that's enough!" Emma managed to shout through the excruciating torture. After a few more seconds, Gold finally released his grip from around the half heart and let a maniacal snicker escape his mouth. "You know, Miss Swan, it's really unbecoming of a savior to throw stones." He pushed Emma's heart back in her chest, "Be more careful not to hit the glass" then gestured and vanished into a cloud of black smoke.

They panted, still recovering from the attack. The Charmings and SwanMills family thought Gold fled the fight after the Evil Queen was defeated. Only he didn't.

"Emma..." Regina placed a hand over her chest.

"Regina, I was going to tell you."

"But you didn't!"

"I know... I'm sorry."

Regina eyed the concrete with her mouth slightly agape. Perhaps she was confused or maybe even angry, but for the moment she was speechless, unable to say a single word.

"Regina I-" Emma reached out for her shoulder.

"Don't. Just don't." A dejected luster coated her eyes before turning away from Emma, gesturing her hands and disappearing into a purple cloud.

As the lavender mist finally thinned then dissipated, her sudden absence gutted the Savior. She never intended for this. Regina didn't just deserve to know, but she deserved to be told gently, personally and in a way that didn't utterly humiliate her. Even so, Emma knew that it was her own fault. She had three chances to break the news before the wretched sorcerer ruined everything. Now she had to mend the pieces of Regina's already broken heart.

...

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID. Stupid..." Emma angrily scolded herself in her yellow bug. There was only one place Regina would go to be alone and upset and Emma was headed there. "So stupid. I can't believe it."

Emma would be on the receiving end of her own verbal abuse the entire ride over. She stopped the tirade of expletives when Regina's vault came into view. Emma didn't know if it was a good idea to force herself into Regina's temporary hideaway, but she knew she didn't want her to be alone. These kinds of things fester and turn into even uglier situations. This day couldn't end without Regina knowing the full truth.

The Savior readied herself outside of the vault. She fixed her red leather and pushed her hair behind her ears. Then she flicked her wrists in the air to get some tension out.

"Here goes nothing." She pushed through the door and made her way down the bit of steps and through the hallway that lead to Regina's spell room. The tips of the Mayor's black stilettos could be seen from the hall. It made Emma smile a bit before the imminent doom. She swallowed hard before entering.

"Regina."

"Not now, Emma." Regina stood, turned her back to Emma and took a few steps.

"Regina, I'm sorry." Her voice was small.

"What is it you're sorry for?"

"I should've told you the first chance I had... or the second for that matter. I just didn't know how."

"It's fine."

"It's not fine."

"You're right! It's not!" Regina turned around to face Emma, a few feet between them. "How could you keep this from me?"

"Regina, I had to do it in the right way. I couldn't just come out and say 'Hey, I split my heart in half and gave one to you. All is well.'"

"Actually, you could have."

"I know..." Emma paused, eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Regina. I really am."

Regina crossed her arms and side-eyed Emma. She knew Emma was wearing her best puppy dog look. It was a look that weakened Regina's convictions even before they shared a heart. The only difference is that now she can't hide it.

"Don't apologize," her tone and eyes softened to match the owner of her heart. Now she was looking directly at the Savior. "I suppose it would be quite difficult to be in your position."

The candlestick chandelier that hanged above them cast a warm glow over their skin. It highlighted the deep, wistful aura surrounding them. The air was heavy with unsaid words and unanswered questions. _Do you feel any different? Do you feel what I'm feeling? What am I even feeling exactly?_ They both silently wondered. The quiet was fleeting, yet it felt everlasting.

"Well," Regina finally voiced, "If we're going to share a heart then we should protect it."

Emma raised her eyebrows in confusion. Regina took a few steps so she was within about a half arm's length from Emma. Then she raised her hand to her chest. Emma felt the warmth from Regina's hand. It made her spine tingle and breaths deepen.

"Ready?"

Emma nodded. Thereafter, tiny purple lightening bolts extended from Regina's hand and across Emma's white t-shirt. It forced a grimace on her face as it felt like kittens clawing both the inside and outside of the chest.

"There. My turn." Regina took a step back and was about to raise her hand to her own chest.

"Wait." Emma took Regina's wrist. "I'll do it."

"Do you know how?"

"Well... no. But you're a good teacher. Show me."

Regina offered a wry smile and rolled her eyes a bit. Flattery seemed to always work when it's Emma.

"Alright. Give me your hand... okay, now focus. Focus on pushing your power through your hand and fixing it on what you want to protect." After Regina positioned Emma's hand over her heart, white sparks exited the tips of her fingers and they locked eyes. At first it was just for a moment, but they remained lost in pools of brown and green for as long as it took to cast the spell.

"Like that?" Emma asked, almost whispering.

"Perfect."

They were still entranced in what seemed like a staring contest. Neither blinked, the two just glanced back and forth in both stillness and silence. Perhaps they would have remained in eternal gazing bliss until the end of time if not for the ringing of Emma's phone that soon interrupted. The Savior finally lowered her hand while Regina backed away and fixed her hair. Whatever momentary heaven they escaped to surely rattled them with embarrassment after returning.

"H-hello?" Emma stammered. "Yeah... I'm... with Regina... uh-huh... uh-huh... yup... got it. See ya." She tapped the end key. "That was David. There was a disturbance downtown."

Regina nodded, still nervously combing through the ends of her hair with her fingers.

"I should go."

"Of course, of course. Go. Duty calls." She smiled.

Emma returned the smile before quickly darting out back to her bug. Once alone, unbeknownst to the other, they muttered the most appropriate word for what just happened.

"Shit."


	4. Chapter 4

Needless to say, Swan felt relieved. She no longer had the weight of the shared heart secret on her shoulders. There was some tossing and turning that night after she and her father checked out the disturbance, but it wasn't guilt that kept her awake. The moment she had with Regina in her vault was... indescribable. Or at least that's the only way Emma could describe it as she pondered it over and over again. But the worst part was not knowing if Regina was haunted by the moment as well. Little did the Savior know, her Mayor counterpart was wide awake thinking none too different than she was.

*knock knock*

"Yes?" Regina asked her bedroom door as she sat up in bed.

"Can I come in?"

"Of course, Henry."

Henry pushed the door open just a bit and nervously poked his head in.

"... Henry, what is it?" The Mayor pushed her glasses up to see more clearly.

"What if I knew a secret... but it wasn't mine to tell you."

"Henry, please come in and stop poking your through in like Hannibal Lecter. It's unnecessary and creepy."

"Sorry." Henry came in and crawled into the massive silver linen covered bed. He nestled beside his mother and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"Now what is it?" She kissed the top of his shaggy hair.

"I can't tell you."

"So then why bring it up?"

"Because... I think you should know. But I won't ruin Operation Zebra."

"What's Operation Zebra?"

"It's between mom and me. In the hospital we made it up. The goal is to try and tell you the secret in the best way possible." Henry studied the book Regina had cracked open on her lap. He had no idea what it was but looked anyway.

"Ah. And this secret wouldn't be about how I'm still alive now would it?"

Henry sat up.

"No. Yes. No. How do you know?" He stammered.

Regina breathed a smile and motioned for Henry to lay his head back down on her. He did.

"I know because your mother already told me. Well... Gold sort of forced her to but let's not belabor on the details." Her statement was drenched in sarcasm.

"So Operation Zebra failed?"

"Not entirely. Emma explained uh... in my vault." She swallowed. "And uh... everything's fine."

"Then why don't you sound fine?"

"Henry... I'm fine. Really."

There was a brief silence.

"What's it feel like?"

"Huh?"

"What's it feel like to have someone else's heart inside you?"

"Well I- I didn't know I had Emma's heart until this morning so I don't know quite yet."

"But you've had her heart for almost three days now. You didn't feel any different?"

"I guess. I don't know. Henry, tomorrow is Monday, you have school in the morning. Off the sleep."

"Oh, c'mon. I can't stay home just this once?" He looked up at her with a puppy dog face Regina was sure he got from Emma. Same cheeks, same eyebrows, same whiney little begging voice. She squinted at how weak she was whenever they pulled that move.

"Alright, but just tomorrow."

"Yes!"

"And back to school on Tuesday. No exceptions." She used her mom voice.

"Got it."

"You pick the movie. And please not that God awful X-men. At least switch it up with some Avengers or literally anything else."

Henry wiggled his way off the bed to grab the Xbox out of his bedroom.

"Alright, deal!"

When he left, Regina used the next few minutes to think about what Henry mentioned. She did have Emma's heart the past couple days and today wasn't the first time she felt different. When she saw Snow and David in the hospital, they didn't feel like friends anymore, they felt like parents. She missed them the same way she misses King Henry. Even being with Henry felt different. It was as if she was away from him for more than half his life and desperately didn't want to miss anything more. It was like she was experiencing the world through Emma's eyes, or heart rather. Then the moments in the hospital and her bedroom with Emma, before she knew about their heart, there was a special warmth her presence gave Regina. She felt like Christmas morning or a kiss at midnight on New Year's Day. It was nothing she ever felt before. And knowing it was Emma's heart that beat inside her only made certain what she didn't want to accept; the feelings wouldn't go away.

...

"Swan?"

Emma heard a voice behind her as she stood at the driver's door of her Sheriff's car. It was before her morning coffee so she instantly felt bad for whoever was going to catch her pre-caffeine wrath. She turned around.

"Oh. Hook."

"Well, don't sound too excited." He smiled as he approached.

"No, no. You know me. I haven't had my morning coffee so... there goes the neighborhood." She smiled.

He nodded back.

"So where have you been, Swan? You haven't answered me back on those blasted talking things. We haven't spoken since that night." He tried to close the gap between them even more but couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable it made Emma. "Swan, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She tried to look away. "Look, I'm just really stressed out and anxious-"

"Anxious about what?"

Silence.

"The Queen is gone," he continued, "Aladdin is gone. The Crocodile is still around but that's not anything new. What's really bothering you, Swan?"

"But maybe that's just it. Everything is okay until it's not okay. I'm just waiting around for the next catastrophe to avert."

"So why can't we make the wait a little easier?" He placed his hook on her hip and his hand on the side of her neck then leaned in to kiss her lips.

"Killian, stop!" She twisted out from between the car and Hook and accidentally pushed him in the process knocking him back a few steps. Now Emma was behind him, collecting herself from what felt like him forcing himself on her.

"I'm sorry. I just..." she was panting, the air turning to clouds of condensation as it left her cold mouth. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It's Regina, isn't it?" He asked.

"What?"

"It's Regina! Isn't it?!" Hook turned around now shouting. "You should have never put your heart in her chest! This is what happens when you do it for the wrong person. You can't even function properly."

Emma felt a fiery rage boiling in the pit of her stomach. Being both scolded and belittled like a child did not make the Savior happy. It infuriated her.

"We already know what happened when I tried to put my heart in the wrong person." Her eyes lowered, as did her voice. She moved in like a predator eyeing their prey. "Just think of Hades."

"... you don't mean that." They were eye to eye.

"But I do. How many times did you try to use true love's kiss on me only to fail? Twice. Here we have a saying. Three strikes and you're out."

"I know what your problem is."

"Tell me what my problem is, oh wise pirate."

"Half of your heart is beating in the Evil Queen's chest and it's tainting it with her hatred."

"Her name is Regina." She spat, venom is every syllable.

He shook his head.

"You're not even you anymore." He brushed passed Emma and continued walking.

"Maybe that's a good thing."

...

Emma's fury would last the entire ride over from home to the Sheriff's station. The shocking part is she didn't feel an ounce of regret or sadness, just rage. This wasn't the first time Hook spoke to the Savior in an attempt to belittle her, the difference is that this time she wasn't going to stand for it. Maybe Hook was right. Maybe Regina was affecting her heart in some way. But it wasn't for the worst and it wasn't anything she didn't feel before.

She slammed the car shut and stormed up the sidewalk toward the station door. As if the car door and concrete didn't take enough of a beating, she swung the station door open and burst through the threshold that lead to her desk and the cells. But her blind anger would be interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Her tracks were stopped and mouth gaped.

"Regina." Her dim, terrifying eyes were now soft emerald marbles. Her skin was no longer pale but pink with warmth. Her fingers and shoulders loosened their vice grip. Suddenly the last half hour was a forgotten, unimportant blip in the most glorious of days.

"Emma."

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I- uh. I brought you coffee." She stood and gestured to the cup holder on Emma's desk. There were two cups. "Oh and donuts. None of those for me, but I know how much you like processed sugar in the morning." She smiled wide and lowered her chin.

Regina was in all black. She wore a tight, fitting dress that ended a couple inches above the knee and a chic suit jacket that stopped at her waist and elbows. Her lips were a kissable red, striking yet dark. The bottoms of her black stilettos matched her lips. And indeed Emma noticed every detail.

"I realized that I never thanked you for saving my life. Or rather bringing me back to life."

"Oh."

There was a pause.

"If I'm intruding I can leave your coffee and-"

"No no. Please. You're not intruding."

"Okay." Regina smoothed the back of her dress. She did so whenever she was nervous.

Emma finally broke out of her stupor, walked up to her desk and sat in the swivel chair. Regina took the seat positioned right up against Emma's desk and crossed her legs. The blonde started mixing the cream and sugar in her cup.

"Rough morning?" Regina asked.

Emma's eyebrows furrowed.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. Just get the feeling. And not to mention the fact that you almost took the door off the hinges on your way in."

"Right." She looked down at her coffee, a little embarrassed. "Minor inconvenience. It's been dealt with."

Regina nodded and understood Emma wasn't going to share too much.

"What about your morning? You look awfully..." Emma looked up and down, "dressed."

Regina laughed.

"Well to be honest, Miss Swan, I just wanted to be dressed. Jeans and t-shirts were giving me an identity crisis so I had to remind myself of who I was."

"Why do you do that?" Emma looked into Regina's eyes beside her desk.

"Do what?"

"Call me Miss Swan."

She thought for a moment.

"I guess it's just habit. It's Emma usually but old habits do die hard."

The Savior sipped her coffee, seemingly uninterested in the answer.

"Did I offend you?"

"No."

Regina's stomach churned and cheeks flushed. Emma faced forward, completely ignoring the Mayor's presence.

"Well. Thank you, Emma... for saving my life."

"We're family. It's what we do." Emma's face was still blank and vacant.

"Okay. Well I better be going." Regina stood. Emma stood simultaneously and moved in front of Regina.

"I'm sorry." She softly murmured while looking into Regina's saddened eyes. "I just..." she glanced down and gently touched Regina's hand that still rested on the desk. "So much has happened. And I can't explain whatever this is but... I just really need for us to be closer." She whispered.

Their hearts quickened as the space between them grew smaller and smaller. Emma's open jacket brushed the outside of Regina's dress. A heat rose from their chests and crawled towards the quivering hands that connected them. Their breaths were deep and long yet shuddering.

"I- I know." Regina's eyes were fixed on Emma's hand as they massaged over each others thumb. "But this won't be easy."

"It doesn't need to be. We can even be scared. Just don't go anywhere."

"I won't."

Their eyes finally lifted and brown met green. The warmth from their skin collided and suddenly the inch of space between them felt too far away. Their connected hands interlocked, lifted and filled the gap between their chests. After a few breathless moments, they gasped. The impossible was realized... They closed their eyes, pressed their foreheads together and knew they not only shared a heart, but each half beat in unison with the other. They raised their other hands and cradled their fingers together, locked in the most tender, touching rhythm their bodies had ever felt.

Maybe they grew tired or weak, or maybe they just couldn't bear being the feeling of being one heart in two bodies, but they fell into a tight, yearning embrace. Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's shoulders and nestled her nose into sweet smelling blonde locks. Emma whimpered and nearly clawed at Regina's back as she clung for dear life. They were filled with desperate passion, longing to be as close as their cursed bodies would allow. And each synchronized beat was a beautiful yet agonizing reminder, that no amount of closeness would ever be enough.


	5. Chapter 5

Writer's note: Let me just apologize for taking so long to answer. I got busy and my ADHD has been really bad. And I'd also like to apologize for this chapter. It's trash in my opinion but I owed you guys a chapter so... idk. But I also unnecessarily sell myself short so I have no idea if this is a good chapter. Please enjoy and be honest in the reviews. I can take it. And you all deserve the best so it'll help me improve. I'm blabbering. Okay, read.

Chapter 5

Emma's hair covered Regina's eyes as her mouth was buried into the Savior's neck. But it didn't matter. The Mayor's eyes were squeezed shut, completely consumed by both the heat of the moment and the warmth from her pale skin. The world melted around them and only their breathless ecstacy remained. Emma's gentle, longing moans vibrated against the soft skin behind Regina's earlobe.

"Regina..." Emma whispered in desperate, breathlessness. But the whisper went unanswered. Regina was too lost in the closeness of their embrace, the sudden feeling of completeness. So the Savior nestled against her neck one last time before trying to pull away. She inched her shoulder backward but still clung to the Mayor's back. Regina lowered her embrace around the blonde's arms and they once again found their foreheads pressed together. They breathed each other in as the tips of their noses gave tender Eskimo kisses.

"What is this... what's happening to us..." Regina sighed.

"I don't know. But I can't let go... don't let me go."

"I won't. I can't."

There, they were cradled in each other's warmth, safe yet overwhelmed by the closeness they felt. They became one.

...

"Emma? Emma, snap out of it." Mary urged.

"Huh? What?" Emma fell back down to Earth after Mary resorted to shaking her by the shoulder.

"Emma," she used her hinting mom voice, "What's going on with you and don't even try to say it's nothing." She sat beside her daughter.

"Fine, then I won't say anything at all because it _is_ nothing." She adjusted herself on the couch as she waited for dinner. Henry wanted to stay at Regina's another night and with Hook no where to be found she figured why not stop by her parents'. Henry invited her over for dinner with he and Regina but she wasn't ready to face whatever awkwardness the events from earlier would cause.

"It is not nothing. You've already told Regina about your heart so what's bothering you?"

"I've just got a lot on my plate right now."

"As in?"

"As in everything! You don't know what it's like to be the Savior, mom, and you never know so just back the hell off for the love of God." She shouted, far louder and angrier than she intended. For a moment there was silence and Emma's face fell as she realized how hurtful her tone was.

"M-mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay." Mary spoke in a soft, fractured voice. Her chin lowered to hide the knot forming in her throat.

"No, it's not. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, mom. I'm really sorry." She placed an apologetic hand on her mother's drooping shoulder. "I'm just- I'm just scared. I'm really... really scared." Now tears were coming to the Savior's eyes and her mouth turned downward.

"But Emma, why? What are you afraid of? What aren't you telling me?"

"Mom, I'm not the person I thought I was. Ya know, maybe this is who I've always been and didn't know but," her voice cracked, "all I know is that I'm scared. And I hate this."

Mary pulled her sobbing daughter onto her chest and held her head against her maternal warmth. Emma's cries grew deeper and louder.

"Shh shh shhhh, it's okay. It's okay." Mary circled her hand over the back of Emma's sweater.

"It's not okay, mom, it's not okay." She bawled, eyes squeezed shut.

"I may not know what you're dealing with, but you need to know one thing. Your father and I will always always always love you. Being the product of true love means our love for you is unconditional. Whoever you are. Whatever you are. Savior or not. You will always be our Emma."

Her sobs were quieted by her mother's comforting words. Emma knew her parents would always love her, but that wasn't what worried her. For 33 years she tried her hardest to be someone she ultimately was not. The perfect illusion she build around herself came crashing down and the terrible feeling of being vulnerable and exposed terrified her. She couldn't hide anymore.

"I'm sorry, mom."

"Why are you sorry?"

"For being like this."

"Oh, stop it. Don't be silly. That's what mothers are for. And don't worry about the tears your drenching my shirt with either."

Emma giggled through her red eyes and finally sat up. She gave her mother a weak smile.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." Mary smiled back. "Don't cry, Emma. Sometimes happy endings aren't what we thought they'd be. Sometimes we turn out to be people we never thought we'd be. But you have to learn to love who that person is, so long as it's truly you."

"But I don't know if it is."

"Well then you better find out."

...

After dinner, Emma didn't hang around. She slipped out before David and Mary even finished their food. She knew it was bad manners and just plain rude, but she had to get out of there. Too much was racing through her mind and she hadn't heard from Regina since this morning. Shared heart or not, Emma didn't feel right when there was unfinished business between them. Their talks gave her a great deal of solace and she was in deep need of one, especially after today.

It was around 10 PM so she doubted Regina had gone to sleep already. Without thinking, she drove over to the Mills' house hoping they'd have a chance to talk. Waiting only made things worse and there was no way in hell the Savior would be able to sleep tonight, not with these gnawing questions hammering the back of her head.

Regina's late night wine and reading in the living room was interrupted by a knock at the front door. Confused, she took her reading glasses off, placed her book face down and entered the foyer to peek through the stained glass to see who was there. After seeing who it was, she quickly took her ponytail out and shook her hair around. Then she adjusted her bra to perk them up a bit and shimmied around to loosen up and seem relaxed.

"Oh, Emma. Hello there." She pretended to be surprised after opening the door.

"Regina. Hi."

They paused.

"I hope it's too late or anything."

"No. No, of course not it's fine. Come in."

The brunette backed away to open the door enough for her visitor. Once inside the foyer, Emma nervously curled her thumbs in her belt loops. Regina matched Emma's nervousness by repeatedly smashing the spaces between her fingers together. They smiled after noticing the other's quirks.

"Shall we?" Regina gestured to the living room.

"After you."

Emma followed Regina back into her living room that was lit only by the fireplace. The curtains were drawn so even the moonlight was blocked out.

"Wow. Looks cozy in here. Did I disturb you?"

"No no. It's like this every night. A busy mayor has to unwind somehow."

Emma nodded.

"We should sit."

They made their way to the couch where Regina left her glasses, book and blanket. Emma picked up the book before sitting down.

"50 Shades?"

Regina snatched the book away.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't think it. It was a... birthday gift. I never let gifts go to waste." She placed it on the coffee table.

"Sure, Regina." Emma teased.

The Mayor rolled her eyes before sitting beside Emma on the brown leather.

"Everyone reads 50 Shades at one point or another. It's just curiosity to see what all the fuss is about."

"I haven't read it."

"I said one point or another."

"Fair enough."

They shot wry smiles and squinting eyes.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Well," she looked down and twiddled her thumbs, "I'm not sure. I guess we kind of left things in a weird way earlier."

"Oh. Right."

Briefly, only the crackling of the fireplace could be heard.

"You rushed out pretty quickly."

"I know and I'm sorry. It was just a lot to process."

"Don't apologize. I'm actually surprised I wasn't the first one to scurry out."

They smiled.

"If I'm being honest, Emma," Regina started, "I don't know what to say."

"Me neither."

They gave each other helpless eyes, clueless where to begin.

"I think sharing a heart might be more than we bargained for."

Regina's eyebrows turned down and hung her head.

"So that means you regret saving me."

"Regina, no. Never ever think that." She inched closer and lifted Regina's chin with the tips of her fingers. "No matter what happens, saving you was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Second only to having Henry."

Regina's eyes softened. She never imagine ever hearing those words.

"It's just that I didn't expect this. I'm sure you didn't either. But it has nothing to do with me bringing you back."

"But what is this exactly?"

Emma dropped her hand.

"I don't know. But I'm willing to find out if you are."

"What about Hook?"

"He's gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"I just couldn't be with him anymore. The happiness I had, it was an illusion. One I couldn't hide behind anymore with my heart beating inside you."

Regina examined Emma's face with doughy eyes. The fire danced in the background and cast golden shadows across the Savior's pink cheeks. It accentuated her crystal green eyes and a tiny gleam sparkled on them. A butterfly flapped its wings in Regina's tummy. She smiled through the fuzzy feeling then glanced down to Emma's hand that lay on the couch. She bit her lip before slowly reaching for it. One by one, Emma's fingers crawled into Regina's palm. They shut their eyes and sighed, relieved to be complete once again. Then their fingers perfectly tessellated together.

They looked up from their hands and locked eyes, unknowingly getting closer with every beat of their heart. Emma cupped the side of Regina's flushed cheek. Their lips hovered and their heads tilted, searching for the perfect place to land. The brunette traced her fingers up Emma's thigh then clasped her slightly exposed hip. The blonde's upper lip brushed against Regina's and she inhaled sharply. The spark sent a tingle down her throat to the space between her legs. They were quivering from the chilled palm that rested on Emma's bare skin, but it wasn't the cold that made her knees vibrate.

Finally... Emma shut her eyes and placed a tender kiss on Regina's top lip. Their hands came undone and Emma raised her arm to cradle both sides of Regina's face and pull her in deeper. The brunette wrapped her hands around Emma waist, surrendering to her strawberry flavored lips. Emma's fingers spread and combed through her silky brown locks. Regina couldn't help but part her lips and let a soft whimper escape her mouth. Emma muted her sweet sighs with her mouth and let her tongue massage its way in. The tender kiss was now deep and fiery. They were groping and clawing at each other, passionately losing themselves with every flick of the tongue. Regina was now pinned against the couch with Emma's leg shoved between hers, brushing up against her throbbing heat. She could barely breathe with the Savior's furious kisses.

"S-stop." Regina mumbled through jumbled lips. "Stop, we can't."

Emma pulled back a little, breathless and panting.

"You're right. It's too much too soon." She tried to lift herself off Regina, but the Mayor pulled her back in.

"Don't go. Stay with me tonight." Regina pushed Emma's dangling blonde locks behind her ear and used the back of her hand to gently stroke the Savior's cheek.

Emma responded by kissing her faded dark red lipstick.


	6. Chapter 6

Careful not to wake Henry, they tiptoed up the stairs like two rebellious teenagers who came in way past curfew.

"Shhh!" Regina put a finger to her mouth.

"I am! I am!" Emma playfully whispered. Just as Regina turned back around to continue up the steps, she poked her in her side.

"Emma! Stop it, I'm ticklish!" Still whispering.

"I didn't do anything!"

Gina got that look in her eyes like she was going to explode. Whether it was anger or laughter, Emma didn't know. But she was enjoying every moment of torment on the steps. The fun didn't last long since Regina reached behind her, grabbed Emma's hands and went up the stairs backward instead. She was ticklish to the point of yelling out obscenities and she didn't want to wake their son. One, because he had school the next day. Two, it would be hard to explain why she was dragging his other mother up the steps to her bedroom. No lie in the world would be believable at this time of night.

"You are the devil." Regina teased as she shut the bedroom door behind them. The room was dim, lit only by moonlight but it was sufficient. A contemporary room like this had very convenient floor to ceiling windows, so lighting wasn't an issue even late at night. Though it was difficult to recognize all the details on each other's face. They were more like tangible apparitions.

"No, I'm the Savior."

"And I'm afraid that title has given you some unneeded hubris."

Emma moved forward and backed Regina into the door. They were furthest from the windows so only a bit of moonlight touched their skin.

"You always do that." She raised an eyebrow.

"Do-do what?"

"Pretend to not love everything about me."

"Hmm. Like I said… hubris." Regina poked her chin out on the last word and deepened her sultry voice.

"You forget we share a heart. I know a lot more than you think I do."

"Oh yeah? It's _your_ heart we're sharing so don't get too ahead of yourself. It's _me_ who knows a lot more than you think I do."

The corners of their mouths turned up in the dim light.

"We haven't talked about that yet, have we?" Emma asked.

"About what?"

"How this feels exactly? _What_ we feel."

"Right. I guess… we should probably do that."

Pulling their eyes away proved difficult. Even in shadowy darkness they got lost in a deep, perpetual gaze. But Regina squirmed out of the tight space Emma nearly pinned her in then walked over to her massive California king. The moon cast a far brighter light on it since it was in the middle of the room. She sat on the side that faced the window and waited for Emma to join her. And she did. But before sitting down she raised a hand to Regina's cheek and softly stroked it with her thumb. Regina closed her eyes and nestled into her palm's heat. But she wrapped her fingers around Emma's wrist.

"Emma," she whispered, "we have to talk about this." Then glanced up.

"I know. I just couldn't resist. Your skin in the moonlight, it's… it's poetry." She looked into Regina's sparkling eyes once more.

"Come on." Regina took Emma's wrist and guided her as she crawled onto the bed. The blonde crawled onto what was the size of a tiny island and stopped once Regina lied down in the middle and faced toward her. Regina put her hands together and fixed them underneath the side of her head as a pillow. Emma mirrored her and made sure to lie as close as she could. Just a couple inches separated their elbows and knees.

"Let's try this again without any… interruptions." Regina breathed, hinting at their previous kiss.

"I'll try."

Regina nervously licked her lips then let her teeth nibble on her bottom lip.

"So when did you know something was different?"

"When I opened my eyes in the hospital. You were the last face I saw when I died and the first thing on my mind when I woke up. Even Henry came after you. But it wasn't just a 'where are you' kind of feeling. It was more like I missed you. I needed you near me."

Emma didn't respond.

"Did I say too much?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just that everything makes sense now. That night, I tried to go home to wash your blood off me and it was the hardest thing I'd ever done. I stood in the shower gasping for air. I was so scared and anxious, I was sure I was dying."

"How did you get through it?"

Emma silently searched for the right words.

"You."

"Me..."

"I closed my eyes and thought of you: the first time we met, all the times we fought and hated each other. Then I remembered the first time you called me Emma, all the times we saved each other… all the things I was too afraid to admit."

"Tell me now. What couldn't you admit?"

Emma lowered her chin and looked down at their knees. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"You're wearing sweatpants."

"… that is now the second time you've criticized my postmortem wardrobe. And way to kill the mood." She rolled her eyes a bit, still resting on the back of her hand.

"No no. I'm not criticizing. It's just… I think I always imagined you slept in silk or some expensive material. I'm surprised."

"Well, you're not wrong. I did sleep in my fair share of overly priced pajamas."

"What changed?"

"I'm not sure. I guess death has a tendency to make people do things we thought we never would."

"Like snapping your heart in half? Yeah, been there." She smiled.

Emma's humor was dry and somewhat basic, but it still warmed Regina. She smiled back at her. Needless to say, they were still edgy and nervous. These were untouched lands. But the bits of lightheartedness made these intense moments breathable.

"You avoided my question."

"I didn't avoid it. I deferred."

"Then you've deferred long enough."

Emma neglected to answer once again. Instead she eyed the mayor's face, glazing over every detail.

"You never told me how you got your scar."

"Emma..." Even in a soft voice her frustration was easily discernible.

"Regina, we both know we can't hide from each other anymore. And in…" she glanced down at Regina's chest, "our heart, you know what I was afraid to admit. But this time it's different. I'm not afraid of you abandoning me or letting me down. I'm afraid that you maybe didn't feel the same way I have all along."

Regina smoothed Emma's blonde locks behind her ear then traced her fingers down her neck and cupped the side of it. Her thumb caressed the joint on Emma's jaw.

"In our heart, you know I always have." She felt her joint unclench from under her thumb. She didn't say the words, but Emma knew with certainty that Regina was telling the truth. It gave both her mind and body sweet solace. For the first time since giving Regina her heart, and perhaps even longer, she could let go.

"It was a dog." Regina added.

"What?"

"My scar. It was a dog. I was 10."

"Oh… it's pretty."

"Haha. Pretty? A scar from a dog attack is pretty?"

"Yeah. I don't know it just fits. It says nothing can stop you. Scars are something to be proud of."

"That's a new one. Usually I get 'oh my god, I'm so sorry.'"

"They don't know you like I do."

"Guess not."

They smiled.

Emma's knee brushed against Regina's. A chill danced up their thighs. For a moment they held their gaze, silently deciding what should happen next. Emma wrapped her fingers around the brunette's wrist while she turned over on her back. She gently coaxed Regina's arm to guide across her then laid it on her torso. Regina didn't give any resistance. She allowed half her body to drape over Emma and pressed her cheek to her chest. Her leg parted the savior's and she completely surrendered to her. Emma wrapped her slender, yet strong arms around Regina and kissed the top of her head. As the brunette lay with her eyes closed, she breathed in Emma's vanilla scented skin and fell hypnotized by the rhythm of her heart beat. Finally, they slipped off to dream of all the memories they hoped to make.

…

Morning made a blinding arrival. The sun beamed harsh rays of light into Regina's bedroom directly into her eyes. Regina awoke, first squinting then shielding her eyes with her hand and blinking away sun spots. After the black circles disappeared a bit, Emma's porcelain skin and sleeping face came into view. She was still draped over Emma. The golden sun ray painted her face and blonde hair and made it glow and almost glisten. She looked angelic, like an illuminated Greek goddess. Regina was so mesmerized she didn't realize she spent a whole of five minutes quietly admiring the blonde's sleeping face. She eyed her lips for most of it. She wondered how Emma would react if she interrupted her peaceful slumber by kissing her awake. For a second she remembered Snow and David's notorious kiss. It conquered one of her most powerful curses with nothing but the power of true love. Maybe she wanted to reenact it, or maybe she hoped it would have its own true love effect on the world. Whatever it was, she knew she wanted to do it.

Regina finally reached up and put her hand on the side of Emma's face, then leaned in. She hesitated and hovered over her lips for a few seconds… then placed a tender kiss on her pink, slightly open mouth. At first it was one sided, then Regina felt Emma's lips reciprocate. Her waking, stiff hands wrapped around the small of Regina's back. Their kiss would last a few for moments until Regina pulled her chin away.

"Hey, you." Emma smiled.

"Hi." Regina smiled back with a bit of bashfulness.

"David would be proud."

Regina buried her face into Emma's neck completely embarrassed by her obvious attempt to recreate the famous kiss. Emma laughed and held her tighter.

"Was it that obvious?" Regina lifted up.

"I don't think you could've been anymore obvious, Regina."

"Dammit."

They laughed again. Even with their morning voices, they couldn't have imagined a more perfect way of waking up that day.

*thump*thump*thump*

"Mom?" Henry asked through the door.

They froze.

"Mom? Are you awake?"

They even stopped breathing.

"Uh. Yeah. Just waking up!"

"Do you have a lock on your door?" Emma whispered, clutching at Regina's back.

"Yes."

"I heard you talking to someone. Are you on the phone?"

"Yes. Yes. That's exactly what I was doing. Your grandmother had to speak with me about something."

"Oh. That's interesting because I have your phone right here in my hand."

"… It was a _magical_ phone, Henry! It's a spell. Very advanced… innovative magic!"

"Hmm. Cool. Anyway, I'm off to school."

"Do you need me to take you?"

"Nah, I'll walk. See ya later, Mom."

"Okay bye, honey. Have a good day."

"Bye, mom." This time his tone was different.

"… Goodbye, Henry."

"You said bye already. I meant my other mom."

Their eyes widened as they heard his feet walk down the hall. They realized Emma's bug was outside and their phones were on the couch. Regina slumped back into the savior's neck while Emma covered her face with her hands.

"Shit."


	7. Chapter 7

Writer's note! I'm sorry for how this chapter ends but I thought it would be nice to leave you guys wanting more. Plus, I'd like to dedicate the next chapter to what happens at the end. You'll see ;) Enjoy.

...

The clicking of Regina's heels was starting to get on her own nerves. She paced on the sidewalk outside Henry's school and not so patiently waited to clear up any confusion from this morning. By clear up, she intended to lie to her son. Regina wasn't sure what conclusion Henry jumped to, but chances are his assumption would be right. He was smart and she knew it. He also wasn't gullible so even lying might be futile. She moved the bit of hair the cool gust of autumn wind pushed over her eyes to check her watch. It was 3:00 on the dot.

 ***drrrrrring***

The bell finally rang. Students began pouring out in droves and Regina extended her neck to look for Henry's bold red backpack. He emerged from the sea of teenagers then skipped down the cement steps seeming to spot his mother right away. Regina smiled with pride realizing how tall he had gotten.

"Look at you. You can almost look me in the eye." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Soon you'll be the one looking up at me."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You're still my little boy."

"Mom..."

"Alright, alright. You're my… almost man."

"Meh. That'll do for now."

They smiled.

"Why don't we sit down and talk about some things?" Regina guided her son over to a wooden bench near the road. The bottom of it was smothered in red, yellow and brown leaves.

"Is this about earlier?" He asked as they sat down.

"Yes, it is. I'm sure it was… very confusing for you."

"Not really."

"Well, I still think it needs some explaining."

Henry nodded while she sat up straight and took a deep breath.

"Henry. Em- your mother, has been having a hard time dealing with everything. Being a savior and a mother can have its complications. Ones that only a savior would understand. And I did kind of die, as you know. It was scary and your mother never raised you all by herself. So she's trying to cope with all that's happened. Sometimes adults cope in unhealthy ways..."

Her son's eyebrows turned down and he looked back and forth. He had no idea where she was going with this.

"Your mother has been drinking. She came over for some emotional support and I noticed she was stumbling about and wreaked of brown liquor, so I made her stay last night where I could make sure she didn't drive again in that state. You understand, right?"

There was silence for several moments. Henry's eyes were squinted as he measured his mother's face.

"Mom, you're lying."

"What?"

"I know your lying face. You're lying."

"I am not!"

"You are. And I get why you are."

"Henry, I'm not-"

"I read up about sharing a heart in some of Grandpa Gold's lore books. I wanted to make sure you both were safe and know how to protect you if something were to happen. Sharing a heart doesn't work unless the two people involved are in love. It's the purest act of love in the entire universe. Even more than a true love kiss."

Regina's mouth fell open and she was frozen.

"But kudos on that lie. I almost believed it."

"Henry..." Her eyes were soft and sad.

"Mom, it's okay." He placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "I'm already used to saying I have two moms. Not much will change."

Regina smiled.

"My sweet boy… You have the kindest heart in the whole world." She lifted his chin with the tips of her fingers.

"Man."

" _Almost_ man."

They exchange warm, toothless grins before their beautiful moment was interrupted by Regina's ringing phone.

"Speak of the devil." She showed her phone to Henry, it was Emma. "Emma, hi I was just about to-" Regina's smiling face quickly fell into deep concern.

"Mom, what is it?"

She ended the call.

"We have to go to Granny's."

…

Regina and Henry rushed into Granny's to find Emma, Snow, David and Belle standing in a semi-circle in the middle of the diner. Emma was at the helm, of course, smiling at her son and his mother as they walked in.

"Good, you're here." David greeted them. "We're gonna need you if you're feeling better."

"Of course I am. What's going on?" Regina replied, filling in the circle across from Emma.

"We have a bit of a problem," said Emma. "Somehow the barrier around town has been lifted. We don't know how but it is."

"So what does that mean?"

"Well for one, we're no longer invisible. Anyone can come to Storybrooke and that has its obvious problems."

"Okay. Well that's not a _total_ disaster."

"That's what we thought. Double up on patrol around the outskirts of town, no biggie. But that's not all."

"What is it?"

"Since the barrier is lifted there's no fence between our world and the world without magic. Which means anyone who can use magic here can use it out there."

"But it's a world without magic. Henry needed an entire block of people to open up a portal to the Land of Untold Stories. No way can any one person conjure enough magic to do any real damage."

"Not unless you're a really, really powerful witch." Belle spoke up.

Regina thought for a moment then closed her eyes in frustration.

" _Zelena_."

"She took the baby with her." Belle continued.

"What could she possibly want in a world without magic?"

"We don't know but we have to find out." Emma chimed.

"It shouldn't be too hard to find her. We share blood. All we need is a map."

"Right. Mom, can you keep an eye on Henry?" Emma turned to her mother who stood beside her.

"Of course, Emma."

"Dad, you can handle the new security detail, right?"

"You can count on it."

"Belle, while we're gone you figure out a way we can put the barrier back up. The last thing we need is for Gold to figure out he can leave with magic."

"No problem." Belle answered.

"Wait, who's the new security detail?" Regina asked.

"We're HERE!" Grumpy stormed into Granny's with the other dwarfs, arms raised.

"Oh dear God, no. You're going to leave the security of our town in _their_ hands? I have skirts more intimidating than them."

"I resent that, lady." Grumpy grumbled.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you come up here and say it to my face? Oh right..." she argued back, a taunting smile on her face.

"Why I outta-" Grumpy shook his fist and gritted his teeth.

"Alright, alright. That's enough." David interjected. "Everyone else is too busy or too untrustworthy to pitch in. The dwarfs will have to do, Regina."

"Fine. Let's hope I have a town to come back to."

"Gina. Henry." Emma pointed to the door to outside.

They nodded and followed her out.

"We're gonna be gone for a while depending on where Zelena went. You gonna be okay?" Emma asked her son.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He smiled and nodded, a gleam in his eyes.

"What's that look about?"

"Oh, nothing." His smile grew wider. It made Regina chuckle.

"What is up with you two?"

They just kept on chuckling.

"How's the hangover?" Henry asked.

Regina was now doubled over in hysterics. Emma could do nothing but gape her mouth. She and Regina agreed on the whole drinking bit, but she didn't know why it was so funny.

"It's fine. _What_ is so funny?!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Regina exploded.

"Nothing, Mom! It's just something funny I read in one of Grandpa Gold's books. It was really really interesting."

The mayor was desperately trying to contain her laughter. Her hearty, hysterical laugh was now muffled, closed mouth giggles. She bit her lip to keep it that way.

Emma just smiled and accepted it was an inside joke between them. She knew there was no way Regina told Henry the truth. He wouldn't react so calmly she thought. Or would he?

"You alright, Regina?"

"Mhm," she hummed through giggles.

Emma wryly shook her head.

"We gotta go, kid. Be safe." Emma tried to pull him in for a hug.

"Let's make it a group hug." He suggested then spread his arms for the both of them. His mothers gave each other a hesitant look. They walked into his open arms and enclosed themselves in a hugging circle. Henry pulled them in even tighter forcing his mothers together. They giggled as their son's exuberance before finally wrapping their free arm around each other.

"Promise you guys'll be safe?"

"Of course, Henry. We always are." Regina answered.

"Yeah, kid. There's nothing to worry about. I'm sure Zelena just… took baby Robin to… a baby play date!"

Regina and Henry ignored the ridiculous suggestion.

"That sounded a lot better in my head."

"Clearly." Gina laughed.

Their son smiled again, absorbing another few seconds of maternal warmth before loosening his grip and letting them go.

"Bye, Moms. Bring Aunt Zelena back."

"Will do, kid."

"We'll do our best. And you make sure to get to school on time tomorrow if things take longer than expected."

"Sorry, Mom! Couldn't hear you!" Henry called out over his shoulder as he walked back into Granny's.

Regina's mouth gaped.

"H-Henry!"

"He's fine, he's fine. Just pulling your leg." Emma smiled.

The brunette side-eyed Emma then teased, "He gets his irresponsibility from you." She made Emma burst into laughter. Her body warmed as she looked over at Regina. She was silent for a moment, mesmerized by the thick black locks that blew messily in the wind yet fell perfectly back into place after each gust.

"And he got his strength from you."

Regina quickly turned her head to meet Emma's eyes. Her cheeks flushed after seeing how genuine and sweet those emerald eyes were. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"We should get going." Emma chimed in a soft voice.

"Right."

Together, they walked over to Emma's bug. Little did they know, Snow was watching them through Granny's window with a toothless yet beaming smile on her face. David noticed his wife's gaze.

"What are you smiling at?"

Her smile spread even wider.

"Oh, nothing… nothing at all."

…

Emma and Regina were about 15 minutes outside of Storybrooke before stopping at a Gas N Sip parking lot to fuel up and do a locator spell. Emma came back to the bug with a bag full of snack, a US map and a cup holder with two coffees. Regina was too busy failing to figure out how to pump the gas.

"Alright, I'm back! Guess what I… got…" Emma's eyebrows furrowed. "Regina what the hell are you doing?"

"This _thing_ is the Devil." She started twisting the pump into the gas tank.

"Woah woah! Stop!" Emma reached through the bug's window, put the coffees on the seat then put the bag of goodies next to it. "Let me help you."

"What? No. I've got it."

"Why yes, Queen Regina, you clearly do." Emma sneered. It made Regina's face fall in frustration. The blonde couldn't help but giggle. "Look, at least let me teach you how to do it."

Gina rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Fine. But I almost had it."

"Don't be such a baby." Emma walked up behind Regina then reached around her to cover the hand that gripped the gas pump. The brunette felt the heat from Emma's core blanketing her back. It made her knees tremble. Emma spoke in a deep, yet soft tone just an inch away from Regina's ear.

"See the nozzle? You dip it into the tank like this… once you feel it's firm…" one by one, she peeled Regina's fingers away from the pump's handle with her own, "then squeeze the pump." She gently tightened her hand around Regina's and smirked at how quiet Regina was being. Then she pressed her body into the brunette's back and placed her other hand on Regina's hip. "Got it?"

"Y-yeah. I think so." Regina cleared her throat, ignoring the tingling the crept down through her core to between her legs.

"Good." Emma's smile was laced with pride.

Gina wiggled out from between the car and Emma then flipped her hair in an attempt to be casual and unbothered. She caught a glimpse of what sat in Emma's car seat and quickly used that as opportunity to shift topics.

"Please tell me one of those coffee's is for me."

"Of course. It's what you asked for."

"Ugh. Thank god." Regina rounded the front of the bug and quickly got into the passenger side. Emma was finishing up at the pump.

Emma was unsure if she did too much too soon. They already made out and rolled around like sex monkeys on the couch so a little flirtatious touching didn't seem like much of anything in comparison. Her smile fell and turned into sheer embarrassment. _What the hell was I thinking?_ She shook her head in self-disgust before hopping into the bug. Regina already put the bag of goodies from Emma's seat in the back. The map was on her lap.

"Oh, you already started."

"Not quite. This is still a world without magic so I'm not sure how accurate the spell will be."

"Well it's not really a world without magic. It's more like a world with different magic. With our powers combined I'm sure it'll work."

"You're right."

Regina still hadn't looked up from the map. Emma was sure she fucked up royally. She nervously bit her lip and sadly eyed Regina's face as she pricked her finger for the spell. A droplet of the brunette's blood fell onto the map right on Maine. They waited a few seconds but nothing happened.

"Oh… great! That's fantastic!"

Emma silenced Regina's dramatic outburst by taking her hand. Regina whipped her head towards the savior and her lips parted. Emma's sparkling green eyes glanced back at her, wide and anxious looking. Just as they felt themselves slipping into another deep, hypnotizing gaze, the droplet starting trailing down the eastern seaboard.

"Look," said Emma.

"Alright, Zelena. Let's see where you've gone."

They squinted, waiting to see where the droplet would stop.

"Is that..."

"Virginia?" Regina finished.

"The Wicked Witch of the West, the most notorious witch of all time, escapes town to go to _Virginia._ "

"Zelena's impulsive and reckless. I wouldn't be surprised if she saw it on a brochure just once and decided it was her own personal nirvana." She rolled her eyes.

"It's quite a long ways to Virginia. Try poofing us there." Emma suggested.

"But what about your bug? I can't poof a vehicle. Besides, I doubt it would work in this world. We have the magic but Virginia itself doesn't. It's like a one way intercom."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Ready for a road trip?" Emma smiled. She knew how impatient Regina gets during long drives.

"As I'll ever be."

…

Emma was struggling mightily to keep her eyes open. A whole seven hours past in the bug and it felt like an eternity. It was already 15 to 11 so there was no way they were going to make it all the way below the Mason-Dixon tonight. Regina made that clear when she leaned against the window and started napping an hour ago. Emma decided to stop torturing herself and pull over at a string of small beach houses on the shore she saw on Google Maps. They were available on a nightly basis, perfect their situation.

"Regina?" Emma whispered softly. The brunette was sleeping so peacefully that she bad about waking her. "Hey. Gina." She used the back of her fingers to stroke Regina's sleeping cheek. Her eyes started to lull their way open. "Hey. Wake up." The corners of Regina's mouth turned up as she remembered who was waking her.

"Hey." She breathed, still smiling. Emma smiled back and took her hand away as Regina sat up. "Where are we?"

"The Jersey Shore."

"New Jersey?"

"Yup."

"Then why have we stopped?"

"For one, if you stayed in the position any longer you'd wake up with a sore neck. Two, I'm tired."

Regina grabbed the right side of her neck and rubbed at a kink that already started forming.

"I would disagree but my neck is telling me otherwise. We should get some rest."

They got out of the bug and made their way to the half lit main office to check for vacancies. It was late October so there was bound to be at least one cottage available. The older man at the front desk was kicked back in a swivel chair with a newspaper.

"Uh- hello?" Emma asked while holding the door open for Regina.

"Hey, how ya doin'?" He answered in a thick New Jersey accent. His eyes were still glued to the paper.

"Ahhh, tired." She sighed. They walked up to the counter.

"You lookin' for a place for tonight?"

"Yeah. Do you have any vacancies?"

"Just one, sweetheart." He finally looked up from the paper and saw the two women. "One bedroom, one bath."

"Is that all?" Regina interjected. This was the second time she seemed turned off by being close to Emma and it scared the savior. _Have I done something? What am I missing?_

"Don't worry, sweetheart. There's a couch in the living room."

"I guess that will have to do." Regina rolled her eyes.

After paying the nice man, they walked out of the main office and headed down the wooded sidewalk paved in front of the beach cottages. It was the third one down. Small, yet quaint, it was the best they could do at this time of night and was certainly better than some run down motel off the interstate. Once they got inside there were some awkward silences between them.

"Regina, you should take the bed."

"No, I couldn't. You did all the driving and it's _my_ insane sister on the loose. You take it." She insisted, barely lifting her eyes to look at Emma.

"Really, it's no big-"

"Emma. Just take it." She seemed frustrated.

The blonde swallowed hard and fidgeted in the compact living room. They just shared a bed last night so why was Regina so standoffish all of a sudden? She even kissed her awake as if they were full on lovers. At first she thought the brunette didn't want to be seen in public at the gas station, but now they were alone and still she was pushing her away. Even in the car she was too busy doing something on her phone or pretending to work out a way to get to Zelena to bother speaking to her about anything. But now it was just angering Emma.

"Alright. Whatever you say, you majesty." Emma walked towards the bedroom.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Regina rolled her eyes as she took off her coat.

"Actually, yes. It does mean something." Emma stormed back in. She was in the middle of undressing so she only had on a white tee and her jeans were unzipped and unbuttoned to reveal her pink cotton undies. "You've been acting weird _all_ day today and pushing me away. _Why?_ "

"I have _not_ been acting weird."

"Really? What about the gas station? Huh? What about, oh I don't know, right now?! The past few days have been different, I know, but being close to each other hasn't been a problem until now so what's changed?"

Regina was radio silent.

"Regina."

"You don't understand! You will _never_ understand!"

"Understand what, Regina?!"

The brunette covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

"Regina..." Emma started to close the distance between them.

"Stop! Please, don't come any closer."

"Okay okay. I won't. Just… just telling what's happening I want to help you."

Regina put her hands on her hips and instead lowered her chin to hide the tears. She was desperate to finally let Emma know what's troubled her today, and perhaps for much longer.

"Everyone I love dies. It's not an exaggeration or me being dramatic. It is fact. I bring terror and destruction wherever my heart goes and I cannot let that happen to you, Emma." Her voice cracked through the crying. She glanced up at Emma. "Maybe I'm cursed or have the kiss of death, I don't know. But if I ever lost you, I'd lose myself too. I'd lose Henry and everyone else in my life, because there would be no coming back from that. If I have to live a life of misery and loneliness to protect you then so be it. Because losing you is a fate far worse than any length of pain I'll endure from not being able to call you mine, or hold you hand, or kiss your lips. It's a pain I'm used to."

Emma was frozen. She didn't move, blink and maybe she didn't even breathe. Every word was cutting into her and tugging at her heart strings. What to say, she did not know. But the weeping face of the one she loved made her do the only thing could.

She closed the space between them, grabbed Regina's face and muted her cries with a hard, yearning kiss. The kiss was devastating and unrelenting. The brunette could barely see through the tears that still pooled in her eyes so she closed them and accepted the lips that covered her own. She wrapped her hands around the blonde's forearms. Then Emma finally relinquished her love's lips and pressed their foreheads together.

"I've spent my entire life running," she breathlessly panted. "And for the first time I've wanted nothing more than to stay right here… with you. You can push me away. You can pretend to hate me. But I'm not going anywhere. I won't leave you."

Droplets trickled down Regina's cheek as she continued to sob. But it was no longer sadness. It was relief. As much as she wanted to protect Emma from a fate she thought her love would inevitably lead her to, she didn't want Emma to give up. She found security in knowing she couldn't scare Emma away, that she would love her fearlessly. Emma truly believed in her and she never felt so accepted, so loved.

"Promise?" Regina asked softly, her lip quivered.

"I promise."

Regina nodded then lowered her hands around the small of Emma's back, pulling her closer. Emma placed a short, small kiss on Regina's top lip, then another on her bottom. The brunette nodded again after their lips parted and subtly swirled her hips against Emma's core. Emma nodded back. Maybe it was the unthinkable… but it was about to happen.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma kissed away the few remaining tears from Regina's cheek then made her down to her jawline. The brunette pulled Emma tighter by the waist as the space between her legs yearned to have her closer. She dug her fingers into the back of Emma's already unbuttoned jeans and squeezed at her apple shaped cheeks. It made the blonde gasp as she grabbed at Regina's biceps.

"Tell me you want me." Emma breathed.

Gina bit her bottom lip and curled her fingers underneath Emma's panties.

"I want you. I want you right now."

Emma barely let her finish by kissing her again. Still grabbing at the brunette's arms, she turned her around and started backing her up toward the bedroom. She sucked Regina's bottom lip into her mouth then quickly covered her open mouth with her own to not let the faint moan escape. Once in the bedroom, Emma backed Regina all the way to the foot of the bed. Their lips finally parted as Regina sat down. She looked up directly into Emma's eyes. The blonde submerged her fingers into thick, black hair.

"You're so beautiful." She whispered as she stood between Regina's legs. "You're so so beautiful." She bent down to fiercely kiss the dark, faded lipstick again but Regina put a finger on her mouth. Emma's half-puckered lips kissed the tip of her finger instead and her eyebrows turned down. Regina gently pressed on Emma's lips which made her stand upright again.

She slowly pushed Emma's white tank top up, not taking her eyes off Emma's. Every after bit of skin exposed, Regina stopped to thumb circles on the sides of Emma's core. Once her ribs were showed removed the rest of the top herself and tossed it on the ground. She looked down again. Her breathing went shallow and shaky. Not knowing what Regina would do next made her nervous, yet excited all the same.

Regina eyed the bare, pale skinned belly and softly squeezed on her hips to bring her closer. She let her warmth breath escape as she dragged her bottom lip from below Emma's belly button to above it. Then she breathed in her vanilla scented skin before placing a soft, lingering kiss atop her navel. Emma's mouth gaped as she shut her eyes and inhaled slowly. Gina's lips were delicate, moist and warm. It was hard to breath under their kiss. She placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders as she circled her pinkish navel with her tongue. Each time the tip Regina's tongue massaged over the pit of Emma's stomach, she felt her panties dampen and throb. She ached for her to ease her gradually swelling slit.

But the feeling was intoxicating. Each brush of Regina's tongue was deeply moving and sensual. She showed such tender attention to Emma's stomach it made her feel oddly special. It was as if every inch of her body was divine and deserved to be praised. Emma never regarded herself as girly, but in this moment she felt beautifully feminine and fragile. Feeling fragile would normally scare the savior but with Regina she felt safe. Her body relaxed into the secure hands that still cradled her sides.

Emma combed her fingers through Regina's hair once again, but this time it wasn't rushed and impatient. She was as tender and slow as Regina's kisses were across her belly. Gina bent her head back, realizing Emma finally came down and matched her sensual passion rather than her previous aggression. The brunette wanted to take her time with this moment. It was not only their first time being intimate, but it would be their first time after sharing a heart. She considered it a consummation of sorts, something that needed to be done right.

The blonde trailed her fingers down Regina's back and curled them underneath the bottom of her black, long-sleeved shirt. She brought her curled fingers around the hem to the front and steadily lifted the shirt, gazing into brown eyes as each inch of skin was exposed. She helped her out of the rest of top then tossed it to the floor before unclasping and removing the brunette's black laced bra. She then placed a soft kiss on Gina's forehead. Emma gently pushed her shoulders back so she'd lay flat on the bed. She pulled down the rest of her own jeans and stepped out of them, leaving only her pink undergarments.

She unbuttoned Regina's sensible black pants and stripped them off. Her panties came off with them. For a few quiet moments, she admired the beautifully curvy woman. Her skin was subtly sun kissed and firm looking which made her appear half her age. She was deliciously dark and sultry and it made Emma's mouth water. Wasting no more time, Emma climbed onto the bed, placing a leg on each side of the brunette as she kissed her way up her stomach. Once to the space between Gina's breasts, she stopped and inhaled the musky perfume she must've spritzed there. It was especially strong and sweet. She placed a couple lingering kisses on the tops of each of her breasts then slowly dragged the tip of her tongue from the middle of Regina's collar bone, over her neck, all the way to the tip of her chin. Fighting to keep in her moans, Regina bent her head back, bit her bottom lip and lifted her chest as Emma's tongue licked over her neck.

"Mmm," she hummed, feeling her pussy swell against Emma's swirling hips.

Emma wrapped Regina's arms around her own shoulders as she continued to lick and suck on the brunette's neck skin, rubbing and teasing Regina's throbbing heat with her own. Regina curled her fingers into Emma's back and moaned into her neck, desperate to get rid of the thin layer of panties that separated them. She lowered her hands and unclasped Emma's pink bra before holding her and rolling over on top now. Regina quickly took off Emma's bra and tossed it on the floor, revealing her hardened, light pink knobs. The brunette sat up and straddled Emma then thumbed circles around her areolas. She cupped her breasts and pushed them up as she gently squeezed. A tightness crept down Emma's stomach and deepened her clit's throb in response.

"G-Gina."

"Shhhh," Regina shushed her with a finger on her mouth then bent down to get close to her ear. "I'm gonna make you feel things you didn't know were possible." She whispered deeply. Emma's breath hitched. She stared up at the ceiling as Regina lowered herself, trailing kisses down Emma's chest and abdomen.

Once to her panties, Regina bit at the top of them and glanced up directly into Emma's eyes. She smirked with the panties in between her teeth when she saw the blonde's nervous face. After a couple of tugs, she let go of the panties then used the tip of her nose to softly graze over Emma's pulsing heat, teasing her relentlessly. The darkened spot of wetness between her legs spread even wider. Emma's breaths deepened and quickened. She wanted to tear her own panties off and plant her pussy right on those thick lips of Regina's. The slow and steadiness was driving her mad.

Just as Emma was going to beg, Regina curled her fingers around the sides of the blonde's panties and pulled them down. Emma pulled her knees to her chest to help get them off then spread her legs again once they had been tossed to the ground. Regina sat back on her heels and licked her lips at the sight of Emma's sopping wet folds. She pushed the blonde's legs back and watched as her inner lips slowly parted, a glistening line of wetness between them. The brunette had to stop herself from licking it up. She wanted to tease her lover a bit more.

She kissed and licked down one thigh and laid on her stomach once she reached her folds. But she didn't lick just yet. She opened her mouth and let her warm breath coat Emma's pussy. Emma whimpered and swirled her hips. Her pussy ached for contact, so badly she was almost pushed to tears. She lowered her hand to try and rub it but Regina quickly pushed it away. She clenched at the white bed sheets instead. Gina slowly licked up and down the outer lips. Emma was panting at this point. She sat up on her elbows.

"Regina, please." She moaned. When there was no response, only more licking, she laid back down and burrowed her hands into her own hair. Now she was moaning every time she exhaled. She grabbed her own breasts, desperate for some kind of release.

Finally… Emma gasped. Regina licked from Emma's opening to the top then enveloped her clit with her lips. She circled it with her tongue, flicking it every few strokes. The release of tension made the blonde's core tighten. She struggled to find her breath and gasped between deep, throaty groans. She buried her hands into the brunette's hair. Regina hummed as she tasted the succulent, sweet wetness. It vibrated Emma's pussy and made her head rear back. Gina let go of her clit.

"You taste so good," she purred then covered her whole sex with her mouth. She licked up and down in between her folds then used the tip of her tongue to fuck her tight opening. Wetness dribbled out, slicked the space between her opening and her bottom and moistened the cleft of Regina's chin. The brunette pushed her tongue as deeply as her passion cave allowed and flicked at the rigged g-spot. Emma gasped as she felt her hips sputter at the spot's sudden stimulation. She was sensitive there.

Regina's tongue emerged. Then she flattened it before taking a long, slow lick up Emma's labia. She was fully engorged, ready to release. Regina circled her clit a few more times then covered it with her lips. Emma reared back and grabbed at the pillow behind her as Gina began sucking and flicking. First the sucking was gentle and careful, but soon she was sucking and flicking so enthusiastically that suction sounds were escaping whenever Emma wiggled around. Wiggling turned to bucking as Emma felt herself grow closer and closer.

"Oh fuck… oh fuck… shit… I'm gonna… I'm gonna..." Emma's jaw dropped and her whole body went numb and paralyzed. Pleasure exploded from her sex and shrouded every inch of her causing a moment of silent bliss. But her climax could no longer be contained. She bellowed a cry of ecstasy to the ceiling above, twisting at the pillow case with one hand and clawing at the bed sheet with the other. Her screaming moans sounded like pure gratifying anguish, like the pleasure was too much to handle. Finally, she started coming down. Regina flicked out the last few waves of her orgasm. She looked up at Emma's body jerk and spasm with every tongue movement. Then she kissed up her still quivering abdomen, feeling the energy leave her pores. Once to Emma's mouth, Regina leaned on her elbows and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on the blonde's lips.

"You're amazing." Emma whispered, softly grazing up Regina's back with the tips of her fingers. She faintly smiled back.

They fell into a deep, yearning kiss. Emma squeezed her arms around Regina and savored her tongue that still had the taste of her wetness on it. The world melted around them. There was no sound but the whimpering they moaned into each other's mouth. There was no sight but the blackness of their shut eyes. There was no feeling but their supple skin massaging together. Time didn't exist in the unending euphoric trance they dissolved into. They rolled back and forth a few times, never letting an inch of space divide them.

Emma was on top by the time their lips finally parted. They gazed into each other's eyes trying to find their way back to reality. After a few moments, the blonde wanted to return the orgasmic favor. She down Regina's jaw and to her neck but the brunette stopped her.

"Wait," she whispered. "I don't want you so far away."

"But I want to taste you… I wanna please you." She panted and kissed Regina's neck again. Gina put her hands on either side of Emma's face.

"You don't need your mouth to please me." She swirled her hips against the blonde, inviting Emma to please her with her own folds. Emma nodded and kissed the now natural colored lips of her lover.

The blonde raised up and sat back on her heels as she trailed a hand down Regina's side to the inside of her thigh. Then she pushed Regina's knee back which exposed her dripping wet pinkness. Emma used her other hand to rub some of the glistening droplets from Regina's opening to her clit, then did the same to her own. She moved forward, one knee to Regina's side and the other in front of her bottom, puzzling herself between the brunette's legs. She felt the heat from Regina's pussy radiate onto her own. She leaned on her hand beside the brunette's head and pinned her knee back with the other. This was exactly what Regina wanted. She wanted to look up into those emerald green. She wanted Emma on top of her.

Emma glanced down to see their nearly touching clits. She lightly kissed their clits together then parted them again, doing some teasing of her own. She smirked a little when she heard a quiet moan pass Regina's lips.

"Look at me," Regina spoke softly. Emma lifted her eyes to meet Regina's. Confused for only a moment, she realized why Regina wanted it like this. The deepness of their eyes gazing into the other's intensified an already passionate experience. Captivated by those dark brown irises, Emma forgot about teasing. She just wanted to feel their bodies connected. She relaxed her lower half, pressed their folds together and watched as Regina gasped. Emma swirled her hips in slow, steady circles.

It was warm, moist and powerfully intoxicating. The smallest movements caused the most intense pleasure in them both. Regina didn't want to break eye contact but the sensations building in her pussy made her eyes squeeze shut for a moment. Her breaths started to stutter. She bent her arm and clenched at Emma's arm, bracing herself. Realizing Regina was getting closer, the blonde's stroke quickened just a bit. Not enough to make the brunette cum, but enough to make her soft moans turn to aching sobs of desire.

"Em- Emma." She groaned in an innocent yet sexy voice. Emma couldn't help but whimper in response. She loved the way Regina moaned her name. "Emma."

"Mmm fuck..."

"Emma. Oh, Emma."

"Ah fuck. Regina." Emma balled a fist of bed sheet. She felt herself about to release but she couldn't, not yet. She wanted to see beautiful, orgasmic facial expressions on Regina first. But their locked eyes and the brunette's alluring voice were making it hard. Emma closed her eyes and quickened her stroke to bring Regina closer.

"Don't look away," Gina panted. Emma knew if she opened her eyes she'd release. She tried to keep them shut and focus on pleasing the brunette. "Emma… please." This time she could barely get the words out. Regina was close and her breaths and groans deepened. The blonde finally opened her eyes again to look into Regina's. They were now yearning and full of passion.

"Emma… Emma… I… I..." she gasped before digging her nails into Emma's arm. Her back arched sharply and her mouth gaped wide. The blonde continued rubbing their pussies together as she admired Regina's spasming body and screaming moans of sweet release. Unable to hold back anymore, Emma let herself join her lover in orgasmic ecstasy. Together they exploded into electrifying bliss. Their cries even synced every few moments.

Emma's body immediately weakened as she came down from the heavens. She collapsed onto her lover and the brunette wrapped her arms around an exhausted, panting Emma without hesitation. Regina closed her eyes and nestled into Emma's neck, still breathing deeply from their passionate climax.

The air was still and motionless. They were quietly snuggled into one another. Emma lifted her head from Regina's neck and their eyes met once again. Regina smoothed Emma's dangling hair behind her ear then cupped her warm, flushed cheek. Emma relaxed into her palm before shyly kissing Regina's parted lips.


	9. Chapter 9

A warm breeze caressed Emma's face in the thick of a deep sleep. They drifted off not too long after their magical evening, maybe around midnight. She squeezed her eyes before peeling them open to see where the air was coming from. Her sleepy eyelids were still drooping and struggling to stay unclosed but she managed to make out a door left ajar. The bedroom was conveniently placed along the back porch for access to the shore. Emma almost slipped back off to sleep from the air's soothing warmth, but her eyes jutted open when she realized Regina wasn't by her side.

"Regina?" She lifted up and frantically grabbed at the empty sheets. They were still heated as if someone was just laying there. "Regina?" She asked again a little louder.

"I'm here." A soft voice spoke from outside. Emma's panic was calmed by the response and she shut her eyes in relief. But now her curiousity piqued. _What is she doing out there?_ Emma thought. She rolled out of the bed, still fully unclothed, pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around her body like a sleeveless Greek toga. She then tiptoed toward the open back door careful not to trip over the dangling cloth at her feet.

"Hey." Emma greeted at the doorway with a faint smile on her face. There was still grogginess in her voice and just a hint of confusion.

"Hey." Regina grinned, not shifting her gaze. She was sat on the love seat on the porch, wrapped in a comforter and overlooking the hazily colored horizon. The sunrise was still in its infancy. It poked just above the vast ocean but not enough to light the sky. There were even some stars still twinkling above their heads.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked.

"Nothing. I just wanted to see this."

"See what?"

"The sunrise, silly. I've seen many but certainly none like this."

Emma glanced up at the horizon and realized what glory she almost slept through. The colors were vibrant, yet fuzzy and nebulous. It looked like a watercolor painting was coming to life before her very eyes.

"Wow." Emma whispered.

"Wow is right. You know for a world without magic, it sure does have its wonders."

"Yeah. Or maybe," Emma began as she sat beside Regina, "maybe the magic just isn't what we think it is. We may not be able to make it out of thin air but it's all around. It's in the sunrises, the oceans, the planet itself."

"It makes me jealous." Regina stated blankly, still admiring the steadily rising sun.

"Jealous?"

"Well, of course."

Emma's eyebrows furrowed.

"Sure the people here are dreadfully mundane and boring, but they're real. They're strong. There's no accessible magic to _fix_ all their problems only to create a domino effect of even worse consequences that ruin their lives… that ruin other people's lives." She looked to Emma with sadness in her eyes. "Emma, I'm sorry."

"Regina-"

"Just let me say this."

Emma knew what was coming, but she saw how important this was for Regina to say so she closed her mouth and let her speak. Her eyes went doughy at the sight of Regina being so vulnerable.

"Although I hate what I did in the past, all of it lead to me having Henry. And I always tell myself that it was enough for me to accept what I had done. But it's not… When I think about the life you could have and should have had, it kills me. Seeing you in the Enchanted Forest in your pretty princess clothes and lollygagging with a basket of flowers," she giggled through the tears welling into her eyes "it showed me the life I took from you, the life you deserved. You have half a heart now for Christ's sake. Even Henry was happier there. He was a strapping knight with so much to be proud of and look forward to. Here, he's barely in high school and has five times the stress a normal 14 year old is able to bear. The only person who's better off now is me."

Emma let each word hang in the air unanswered. She wasn't unsure of what to say nor did she agree with Regina's lengthy monologue. She knew her lover simply needed to get that off her chest. It's something she had a feeling Regina was harping on underneath the surface.

"And I don't want your pity, I only ask for your forgiveness." Regina sniffled. Emma cupped Regina's cheek and spoke in as gentle a tone she could without it being inaudible.

"You say you wouldn't change a thing about the past because it brought you our son. I wouldn't change a thing about my past because it brought me him… _and_ you."

Gina nestled into Emma's palm and shut her eyes. A droplet spilled down her cheek but the blonde stroked it away with her thumb.

"I wouldn't change a thing, Regina. Nothing. A better upbringing is not worth losing you."

Regina quietly let Emma's simple yet powerful words sink into her skin. She knew Emma was sincere and even knew she felt that way beforehand. But the guilt was still eating at her. Hearing the words assuaged it. Emma considered Regina's slightly relieved face. She didn't imagine that their sharing a heart would be hardest on her. Emma herself was always the more reluctant and worrisome when it came to love. This time, she was fearless and eager to fall even deeper. While Regina was equally in love, she was terrified. _At what point will my happiness be destroyed as usual? How long before this fairytale ends in suffering?_ Regina thought to herself every now and then.

"C'mon. Come with me." Emma offered her hand as she stood up. Regina interlocked their fingers and followed suit, wrapping the blanket around herself as Emma did. The blonde lead them down the few steps outside the cottage and towards the sand.

"Emma, I'm not wearing shoes."

"We don't need them."

Regina squinted a little bit.

"Trust me. Come on." Emma gently tugged her hand. They walked onto the sand towards the shoreline, feet hidden by the dangling fabric. Once to the edge of the tide, they stood hand in hand, side by side, against the morning sea breeze. Their hair blew perfectly behind them.

"Why is it so warm? It's the middle of October." Regina voiced.

"We're not in Maine anymore, Toto."

Regina grinned and shook her head at the corny joke. It was such an Emma thing to say.

The sun was about a third risen but still covered by a thin layer of cloud. The brunette was half-smiling, entranced by the stunning sight she'd never seen before when a hand wrapped around her waist. She dropped her chin to find slender, spread fingers inching across her lower stomach. Emma had let go of Regina's hand and come behind her.

"What are you doing?" Regina smiled and blushed.

"Shh." Emma ran her hands up Regina's duvet dress and undid the top of it from around her breasts. She slipped it down and exposed her entire body by letting it drop to the sand. She quickly did the same to herself and dropped her own blanket. Then, slowly, her naked front pressed against Regina's bare back, draping her arms around the brunette's waist thereafter. It was sensual and intimate. She was as careful as Regina was when she gave such tentative attention to Emma's stomach.

Regina settled into the tender embrace and placed her arms over Emma's. She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled as Emma nestled into her neck. Emma's touch, while gentle, was also firm and secure. With each lingering second, the brunette felt her inhibitions floating away into the crystal sea green ocean. Those arms were indeed the safest place the brunette had ever been. Emma ran one hand up Regina's torso and cupped one breast as her forearm lay on top of the other. Then together they glanced up at the horizon to watch the rest of the sunrise.

"Do you like when I touch you?" Emma whispered.

"I do. I love being this close to you."

"I love it too. But why does it feel like I can never be close enough to you?"

"Because half of you is inside me… as funny as that sounds."

Emma giggled through her nose and lowered her other hand to wrap around Regina's lower stomach again. One hand was on top of her pelvis, the other around her belly button.

"What will life be like when we get back to Storybrooke?" Emma asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do we just go back to normal?"

"Things can never go back to normal, Emma. Things are too different now."

"So we just throw a gay parade down Main Street and alert the town?"

"I can think of more subtle ways." Regina snickered with a toothless grin. "Is that something you're afraid of? Being open about who you are?"

"Hmm. I mean, yeah… I guess so. I've kept it hidden away my whole life. I wanna show you off but… I'm scared."

"It's okay to be. You won't ever have to be brave all by yourself again."

Emma half smiled. She knew how genuine her words were. "Is it easier for you?"

"I suppose. I've always sort of known and accepted I was very much bisexual. And you're not my first woman, believe it or not."

Emma lifted her chin off Regina's shoulder and darted her eyes toward her. Regina looked back and winked.

"Well, I don't what I am but you're not my first woman either."

"Oh?" Regina teased as they settled back into their cuddle. This time she leaned against Emma's head.

"Just one before you."

"Hmm. Lucky girl."

"Nah. We're the lucky ones."

A few quiet moments passed as most of the sun rose out of the ocean. The haze quelled the now blaring sun rays so the sight was still easy on their eyes. Justly, their bodies were illuminated by a golden tint.

"I think I'm more nervous about Henry than anything else."

Regina swallowed hard and lifted her head off Emma's.

"Umm. About that, Emma." She turned around, still locked in Emma's arms, to face her. "He already knows."

"What?!"

"Shh! Don't yell."

"I-I-I thought everything went fine. I thought you spoke to him and explained."

"Calm down. I did."

"So how does he know? You _told_ him?"

"Of course not." She cupped Emma's cheeks. "I'm sure you already know this but our son is quite smart. Not only did he put two and two together yesterday morning but he read something in one of _Gold's_ books." She rolled her eyes.

"Read what?"

Regina paused and nervously bit her bottom lip. They hadn't used the "L" word yet and Regina didn't know if it was too early to drop that bomb. But this was perfect as perfect could get. There wouldn't be a more fitting time than the morning after a magical night, wrapped in each other's naked bodies on a romantic beach, hearts beating in sync. It was now or never.

"Henry read that sharing a heart isn't exactly meant for everyone." Regina started, a hesitant look on her face. "Sharing a heart only works if..."

"If what?"

"If the two people already have true love."

Emma didn't respond. She just considered the big doting brown eyes before her. Unconsciously, Emma's embrace around the small of Regina's back tightened. In a way it was confirmation of everything she already knew. It wasn't sharing a heart that made them fall in love, it was already there. It was hidden beneath the surface, brewing, waiting, showing itself in times of great sacrifice or magical grandeur. Suddenly, together they realized that perhaps those moments were the universe urging them to recognize who their true love was. Fate was unrelenting in that way.

"A part of me already knew that." Emma's voice shook.

"Me too." A tear welled in Regina's eye as she nodded. "God, how many times have I cried in the past 24 hours?"

Emma smiled wide and giggled, "Uh… three, I think."

"You weren't supposed to answer!"

Emma continued giggling as Regina flicked a tear away before it ran down her cheek. She cupped Emma's face again thereafter. Then they found each other's yearning eyes again.

"I love you, Regina."

"I love you too, Emma."

Regina leaned in first and Emma met her perfectly in the middle. It was a sensual, bottomless kiss. The brunette wrapped her arms around Emma's neck as their mouths fully enveloped the other's. She stroked Emma's tongued with her own up and down the center then flicked the tip of it before swirling them together. Emma pulled Regina's knee up around her waist and pressed her thigh against Regina's naked folds.

Locked in the heat of the moment, they failed to notice the calm waters behind them turn angry and enraged. The waves picked up, the soft breeze turned to strong gusts and the temperature began to rise. A tide came in and swallowed up their feet which broke their kiss.

"Shit!" Emma cursed as they tip toed backward to dry sand.

"What's happening!?" Regina squinted through the wind.

"I don't know! Maybe there's a… storm… coming…" Their shouting over the wind and tides proved unnecessary as they calmed down almost instantaneously. After a few seconds, everything was as tranquil and still as before they starting kissing.

"That was…"

"Weird. I know."

They peered around, hand in hand, waiting for some kind of sign that the stormy conditions would return. But there was nothing. Just the soothing wish-wash sound of the tide coming in and out.

"Hmm. Well, I hope the moment hasn't totally been ruined yet." Emma blushed.

"Don't worry. It hasn't." Gina let go of Emma's hand and yanked her in by the waist. She smiled at her pink mouth then kissed her bottom lip. Again, they fell into another passionate embrace. But moments later, their kiss would be interrupted once more.

"Oh, come on!" Regina shouted at the wind that died down just seconds after they parted.

Emma thought for a long while, staring hard at the sand with her thinking face. "Regina. I think it's us." Emma's eyes were wide.

"What?"

"Whenever we kiss it gets all windy and the waves freak out."

"Emma, that's impossi- wait a minute… maybe that's what broke the curse in Storybrooke. Maybe it's us."

They paused for a moment to weigh the possibilities. It was obvious they were causing some kind of reaction in the world, but they didn't know what exactly nor how. Regina glanced down at her hand and squinted seeming to have an idea.

"I'm going to try something." She turned her palm face up and uncurled her fingers from a fist. Just has they completely straightened out, a ball of hot flames shot up from her palm like a torch. Emma's eyes turned to saucers as she watched Regina effortlessly conjure a fireball in a world without magic.

"Regina, how did you do that..." Emma stated blankly as Regina's palm closed.

"You were right about one thing. This isn't a world without magic." She looked into Emma's anxious eyes. "It's a world with suppressed magic and we're letting it out."


End file.
